Archives Coffee House to close in December; owner of Bully Brew and Board Room will take over space
Sav Kelly, Grand Forks Herald
5 min read
Nov. 23—GRAND FORKS — Archives Coffee House will be closing Dec. 13, and the new lessee, Sandi Luck, owner of Bully Brew Coffee House and Board Room Coffee and Taphouse, will be converting the space into a Board Room at UND.
"Kyle (Thorson) does such a good job over there, so there's not a whole lot I have to do (to prepare for reopening)," Luck told the Herald of the upcoming transition.
In the eight and-a-half years since Thorson took ownership of Archives, he shaped a business that focused on more than just profit, he wrote in a Monday, Nov. 18, press release.
"I built a space that was founded on uplifting the community, while creating an atmosphere of welcome and hospitality for all," Thorson said. "I am so proud of everything that Archives has been a part of over the past eight years, and I'm grateful to all the customers and employees who shared my values and made Archives a great addition to Grand Forks and UND."
Discussions about closure began in the early fall, and the choice was made based on factors like finances and a necessary change in pace, he told the Herald.
"It's been great to grow as a small business leader, and also learn a little bit about corporate America and where there are similarities and differences," Thorson said. "It's just a time for me to really sit down and reflect. 'What does Kyle need?' and 'Where else do I want to show up?' I still care a lot about Grand Forks — and I'm not planning on leaving."
He lets go of Archives with a heavy heart, especially considering patron reactions on social media, where they've been sharing memories and recounting how important Archives has been for them, Thorson said.
"It did matter," he said. "It was a space that was so incredibly important for people, and I struggle with leaving that behind, but ... I'm hopeful that that space will transform and continue to be a place that's welcoming."
Over the years, Archives has hosted many different events, groups and causes, from open mic nights hosted by UND's English department to fairy bingo for Grand Forks Pride.
As a founding member of the city's Pride committee, it was always nice to have that space for events, he said. And as an LGBTQ+ business owner, Thorson believes his presence has had an impact.
"I'm one of the few LGBT (business) owners in town," he said. "That representation is important to folks."
He said Luck does great work with the community, and trusts that the space will always have an element of hospitality.
Luck confirmed that the Board Room at UND will operate in a very similar, community-based way, to the existing Board Room.
"We do pop-ups, we do vendor events, we do lots of community activities," she said. "So we'll continue to do that at (the university) location."
Before Archives' doors close Dec. 13, there are a few remaining events on the schedule, including jazz duo performances, a panel discussion and film showing for World AIDS Day and the fourth-annual holiday market.
More information is available on the Archives Facebook page.
Luck will take over the space on Dec. 15, and in the following weeks, it will be transformed into a Board Room at UND, modeled after the existing Board Room located at 4571 S. Washington St.
Bully Brew has eight locations throughout North Dakota and Minnesota. Luck had been wanting to expand the Board Room brand for a while, and is still looking at additional opportunities, including in Fargo, she said.
Stepping into this space on campus was a natural progression for Luck and her brand, because she graduated from UND and worked as a professor in the marketing department until approximately two years ago, when she transitioned to focusing fully on her businesses.
Bully Brew is the official coffee roaster for the university. The business carries a medium roast "Hawks Blend" and dark roast "UND Champions," which is specifically hockey themed.
"I'm near and dear to UND," Luck said.
The space will have similarities to a coffee house, but will stay open later than those establishments traditionally do. Hours of operation will be 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday — unless an event warrants extended hours.
Among the menu offerings will be various shareable boards, such as charcuterie and breakfast boards as well as beer and wine boards. There will also be sandwiches, flatbreads and soups.
"(It will be) very similar to what Kyle is doing already," Luck said. "So I don't think that will be much of a surprise for the customers and students."
The space will be repainted to match the Board Room's signature colors, which include coffee tones, pink and black.
The Board Room is a well-accepted brand, she said, because it's centered around comfort and community, but her favorite part is that there's no pressure.
"You can go there and one person can have a coffee, and the other person can have a beer," Luck said. "Nobody's judging anybody, and you're comfortable. It feels good."
She hopes to have some soft openings at the Board Room at UND the week before students come back in early January, so that employees can get comfortable with the recipes and process.
"We're pretty excited about it," Luck said. "I have a great team that is excited to grow. Bully Brew has been open for 14 years, and I've been doing coffee for 17 years. So I'm not new to this. I love businesses, and I love being an entrepreneur and I'm really excited to just be back at UND."
