coffee house on Cass N. of DIA

**preserve** · March-21-19, 05:27 PM

Having a senior moment and cannot recall the name of the coffee house that was popular in 60's, 70's + that is now an Italian place.

**Mackenzie68** · March-22-19, 02:13 AM

Chessmate?

**65memories** · March-22-19, 07:16 AM

Was it Alvins?

**Zacha341** · March-22-19, 08:08 AM

Alvins was a bar, not coffee house...

...!

**preserve** · March-22-19, 12:43 PM

Yes it was Alvins and it wasn't always a bar.

**EastsideAl** · March-22-19, 02:19 PM

Alvin's was originally opened as a delicatessen in fact, named Alvin's Finer. I knew Alvin, who sold the place, moved to San Francisco, and opened a well-known bar there many many moons ago.

A picture of the old place from a very old newspaper:
Name: Alvins_1977.jpg
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Name: Alvins_1977.jpg
Views: 597
Size: 59.0 KB

**Zacha341** · March-22-19, 02:30 PM

WOW! Thanks...

.. Now that I recall even after it was a bar/ club they had the BEST salads and what not up at the front!!

Originally Posted by preserve

Yes it was Alvins and it wasn't always a bar.

**Henry Whalley** · September-05-20, 12:52 AM

Originally Posted by preserve

Yes it was Alvins and it wasn't always a bar.

Alvin’s was designed by Robert Hanamura, an artist and designer who also owned an art gallery Downtown. I never went to the gallery but I think it was in Harmonie Park. Bob Hanamura also taught fine arts at U of M and possibly WSU.

When Alvin moved to San Francisco, he hired Bob to design his new coffee house, Cafe Babar, which became ground zero for Detroit natives in San Francisco. Hanamura moved there circa 1978.