Gregory J. Holman

GHOLMAN@NEWS-LEADER.COM

The story of Refuel Coffee and Soda Bar, a 1920s-to-1940s themed cafe planned to open in 2016, begins almost a century ago.

In the '20s, the tiny building at Central Street and National Avenue was a gas station.

As early cars grew larger and car ownership more common, small, first-generation gas stations like the one at 900 N. National Ave. fell out of fashion, replaced by bigger ones along wider streets. That's according to Drury University's dean of architecture, Robert Weddle.

The building that is to become Refuel, its footprint only a few hundred square feet, was repurposed over the decades.

For the 27 years ending in 2012, it was a shoe-repair shop, owned by Rev. Isaac J. "Ike" Jenkins.

An Army/Navy veteran who'd also worked the Frisco railroad, Jenkins was active in church and civic organizations, along with his business. That's how former estate buyer, entrepreneur and eight-year midtown resident Amberly Larkins met the man, and how she hatched the idea for Refuel.

"I drove by (Jenkins' building) all the time and I always thought it's right across from OTC, so why does it look so bad?" she said. "I just never in a million years thought I would be the person to renovate it."

Larkins met with Jenkins, who at first wasn't interested in selling. "I just kept meeting with him," she said. "Every day, I'd jog by. He'd sit outside and wave at cars."

Jenkins only agreed to sell after Larkins presented him a business plan.

Her plan — Refuel, a sit-down/drive-thru coffee shop with a soda fountain, "part history museum, part social experiment, part helping people, part time warp" — passed muster with Jenkins, but he died Oct. 31, 2012, just a few days before closing the sale, Larkins said.

"It's been a slow process," Larkins said. "There were quite a few obstacles."

First, the property was in probate court for about a year, she said. Next came environmental studies and 144 tons' worth of demolition, debris and trash removal. Then alleyway improvements. Then the city permitting process.

But now, "it could be as soon as this spring when we start construction," Larkins said. "Conservatively, I would say this summer we could be open. Definitely I want to be open by next fall."

When completed, Larkins said Refuel will cater to an under-21 crowd of OTC students and kids at Central High School.

An 800-square-foot addition will expand on the original gas station footprint, allowing guests to dine indoors at a 15-seat cafe or purchase to-go items from a walk-up window.

She's planning to add a bike rack for cyclists and a parking lot with room for a drive-thru coffee/pastry kiosk and a seven-car queue, turning off of Central Street.

Larkins said she wants to keep prices between $5 and $10 for food, but still use high-quality, organic ingredients, for example, po'boy sandwiches made with sustainable shrimp.

The menu will include "really new gourmet salads and soups," sandwiches, quiche, pastries and cakes, a full range of ice cream options and coffee products, and a soda fountain like the ones in old-fashioned drug stores.

Larkins said she's having a 1939 Liquid Carbonic soda fountain restored.

"We actually won't serve any of the mainstream sodas," Larkins said. "I may have the old-time glass-bottle Coke, but I don't even know if I'm going to do that."

Instead, root beer floats, cherry phosphates, handcrafted sodas, milkshakes and an energy drink also named Refuel (made by a separate company) will be available.

Larkins envisions a shop completely free of disposable paper and plastic products, because she wants everything about Refuel to be historically accurate to the 1920s-1940s era.

"If you're dining in, you're eating off actual Depression glassware," she said. She's collected old malt glasses, plates and hundreds of other items. Instead of paper napkins, she plans to use mechanics' shop towels. Instead of sugar packets, sugar shakers. For to-go items served at the drive-thru and walk-up windows, Larkins said she's "exploring options with reusable BPA-free cups."

Along with these "green initiatives," Larkins hopes to attract connect the younger crowd with older adults. She said she's been inspired by conversations she's had with her 90-year-old grandmother.

"I'd like to bridge our greatest generation from the World War II era with younger people," she said. "One thing I'd like to do is kind of have little coffee dates, people from (younger) generations sitting down with people from that generation, just talking."

Larkins hopes to set up a volunteer program. For example, she thinks young people could help older adults by explaining social media to them as a way to keep connected with far-flung family members.

"I think we can expect good traffic," Larkins said. "I think next fall will be huge, if we're open by then."

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