Cup 'N' Cork will close doors in Cape

As one well-known business closes in downtown Cape Girardeau, another startup by a popular local chef will open in its place this summer.

Cup 'N' Cork will close at 11 S. Spanish St. on May 26, and Celebrations owner and head chef DeWayne Schaaf will open Ebb and Flow Fermentations, a brewery and beer bar, at the same location.

Cup 'N' Cork owner Tina Abbott said the decision to close was a difficult one to make, but "it's time."

Abbott said being part of the vibrant downtown community has been a lot of fun, and she's really enjoyed supporting artists with their art displays, rotated every month since they opened.

The events Cup 'N' Cork hosts, from trivia nights to poetry readings to open mic nights, have meant a lot to her, she said.

Being involved with the Arts Council has meant the restaurant has been part of First Friday celebrations downtown, Abbott added, and that's been a big part of the atmosphere of Cup 'N' Cork.

Abbott and her husband, Patrick, own and operate the restaurant together. He has a long background in the restaurant business, and she said she'll miss working with him.

But, Abbott said, it will be nice to be able to spend some time with her family.

"We haven't had a real family vacation in about 10 years," Abbott said, aside from three days in Branson last year.

Owning and operating a restaurant takes time, money, energy, and there's the constant possibility of a phone call needing either her or her husband to come in, she said.

"We had a family meeting," Abbott said. "They want to spend more time with us."

Cup 'N' Cork opened about 14 years ago at 46 N. Main St., Abbott said, and she and her husband purchased it six years ago.

They moved to 11 S. Spanish about three and a half years ago, Abbott said.

"I won't miss the stress," she said, "but I will miss the people, the things we are doing here."

Abbott said they considered relocating the business, but no place felt right.

"We couldn't find anyplace that would compare to this," she said. "Everything else would be a step back from what we've become."

Abbott said they'll have one last trivia night May 26, to benefit the Humane Society.

Mary Ann Kellerman, who owns the building, said she hates to see the Cup 'N' Cork close, but is excited about the new tenant: DeWayne Schaaf, owner and head chef at Celebrations, will open a brewery this summer.

Schaaf said he'll get the building at the beginning of June, and while he waits for his brewer's notice -- a federal license -- he'll operate a beer bar in the space.

"We're kind of at the mercy of how that paperwork goes," Schaaf said, but added he hopes to be brewing by November at the latest.

"I moved here almost 20 years ago, in September 1998, and I remember going to the courtyard [at 11 S. Spanish]," Schaaf said. "People have so many fond memories of that courtyard. It's just beautiful."

Schaaf said he chose the name, Ebb and Flow Fermentations, partly because of the building's proximity to the Mississippi River, and partly because of how yeast and the brewing process are affected by the seasons.

"There will be a lot of culinary-based beers," Schaaf said. "Our beers will be different."

Schaaf said there will be a limited wine and spirits selection, but there won't be a full bar, and the overall feel won't be that of a bar.

"The last thing Cape needs is another bar," Schaaf said, laughing.

Instead, he wants people to be able to come into a cool, Bohemian feel -- like going to a friend's house to have a drink, he said.

mniederkorn@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3630

Pertinent address:

11 S. Spanish St., Cape Girardeau, Mo.