Black Dog Café stands the test of time amid ‘caffeine mania’

What started as a three-year business plan has led to Carla Reid owning Black Dog Cafe, Tallahassee’s oldest independent coffeehouse, for 27 years.

Tallahassee has been experiencing something I call a “caffeine craze,” with new coffee shops popping up all the time.

If it’s not a chicken restaurant, I usually write about a coffee shop, noting all the unique features in the hopes that this place will stand out from the rest.

But the Black Dog, located in the back of the American Legion Hall building on Lake Ella, has stood the test of time.

The local café, which opened in 1997, was known as one of the few coffee houses in the city before a lot of big chains sprang up. It gained its first fame a few years after opening.

Former Gov. Jeb Bush, who was first inaugurated in 1999, lamented to an out-of-town newspaper that the only regret he had when he moved to the capital was the “lack of good coffee,” as reported at the time in The Democrat.

Reid gently reminded Miami’s new governor that they were there, bragging that they had as good coffee as anyone. He challenged him to come try a cup. The governor accepted her offer on a Friday morning, though he did not become a regular.

But over the years, so have a number of other characters. Reid says the community she’s been able to create over the store’s lifetime is the real driving force behind the business.

“I wanted a place where people could come and say ‘Cheers,’ where everybody knows your name,” Reid said in an interview during a busy afternoon shift. “Basically a coffee shop and a place where you could have a cup of coffee, have a conversation, play a game of chess, write your book, read the paper.”

And that is exactly what she has created: a haven that many people describe as homely. Friendly conversations interspersed with giggling, the sounds of computer keys being tapped and melodies sung by staff members give the space a sense of liveliness.

Lamps on wooden tables add a warm tone to the room while sunlight streams through windows on one side of the store. Artwork on the walls is either gifts or belongs to local customers.

Reid said her desperation to provide for her on-the-way child, her love and awe of the Lake Ella landscape and her desire for a place to sit after a long walk with her cocker spaniel Phaedrus, the ‘black dog’ of the name, were all key factors in making the cafe what it is today.

The Florida State alumnus, originally from Sumter County, moved from Chicago back to Tallahassee to start the store.

Reid discovered she was “good at serving people” and combined aspects of her experience as a bartender and cocktail waitress, even her stint as an editorial assistant at the Tallahassee Democrat and her time teaching at Purdue University and Florida State.

“When I was teaching at Purdue University, I went to a little coffee shop. It felt like a little pub, but with coffee, and I thought, ‘I can do that,’” she says.

As Reid learns more about herself and her skills, from fixing coffee makers to sanding floors, you can see her work—and the decades that have accumulated. “It’s kind of like your grandma’s house. It’s getting more and more cluttered,” Reid said.

It wasn’t always this way. In the early days, thin Walmart sheets served as curtains, while another set of sheets stamped with Black Dog Cafe served as tablecloths. The menu started with just a handful of beers and Italian sodas to choose from.

“It’s evolved tremendously over time,” Reid said. But then again, coffee shops in general have changed over time.

Evolving with the times

Before the patio overlooking the adjacent lake was built, the store typically had “hippies” or college grads as regulars. After the pandemic, Reid says, a wave of college students became new regulars.

It was mostly students who frequented Reid’s Railroad Square under the same name before it changed hands and became Square Mug, which closed in December. There was also a brief period when a coffee cart operated in the lobby of the county’s main library in downtown Tallahassee.

However, it’s been an adjustment for Reid to see coffee shops morph into office spaces, as that wasn’t what she envisioned for the store. She admits it took her a while to understand the new demands of the COVID and post-COVID era, including making sure there were enough outlets for everyone’s devices.

What hasn’t changed are the candid conversations and interactions she and her staff have with regular customers or old friends who stop by. Those are the special little moments that she believes set the store apart from the competition.

“I think as long as we keep doing what we’re doing, we’ll always have a place,” Reid said.

If you go

When: 07:00-23:00, Monday to Friday; 08:00-23:00, Saturday and Sunday.

Where: 229 Lake Ella Drive.

What’s on the menu?

You can always count on grabbing a cup of coffee or tea for a few bucks, but the “fancy drinks” section of the menu, featuring seasonal or daily combinations, keeps things lively. From the “Island Getaway,” a strawberry-coconut matcha drink, to the “Peace Retreat,” a pistachio, cinnamon, and white chocolate coffee drink, there’s a generous selection to choose from.

Freshly baked goods displayed in display cases near the cash register are tempting. I couldn’t resist grabbing a slice of the fluffy blueberry cake on my way out.

Kombucha, which has a taste you have to learn to appreciate, is also on the menu. If you’re as picky as I am, Reid’s recommendation of ginger ale is a worthy substitute, and I’ll be back for a second glass. Teas, lemonades, Italian sodas, and more are also available.

Kyla A. Sanford writes about dining and entertainment for the Tallahassee Democrat. New restaurants opening, specials or upcoming events? Let me know at [email protected]. You can also email your suggestions for a future TLH Eats restaurant profile.