**CLOSING SPECIAL**
They say that all good things must come to an end. Faylunchin, the funky eternal optimists that we are, must admit defeat when it is staring us in the face. So it is with great sadness that we eulogize the end of an era and the closing of a Fayetteville institution – Common Grounds Gourmet Espresso Bar, located at 412 W. Dickson St.
After serving up a smorgasbord of dining options for 18 years, ranging from coffee to cigars and everything in between, our friends under the neon coffee beans and Razorback Red awning have poured their last cup of joe. Obviously, Faylunchin cannot let this once beloved house of hangouts go quietly into the night without one last hurrah, at least not in good conscious. And thanks to the Fayetteville Flyer’s early warning system, an Englishmen, a Chinese man, and an Indian were given a chance to savor their grounds one last time.
*FULL DISCLOSURE: members of the Faylunchin crew have either worked here at one point and/or spent countless hours musing over life with friends. So forgive us if we wax a bit too sentimentally.
After serving up a smorgasbord of dining options for 18 years, ranging from coffee to cigars and everything in between, our friends under the neon coffee beans and Razorback Red awning have poured their last cup of joe. Obviously, Faylunchin cannot let this once beloved house of hangouts go quietly into the night without one last hurrah, at least not in good conscious. And thanks to the Fayetteville Flyer’s early warning system, an Englishmen, a Chinese man, and an Indian were given a chance to savor their grounds one last time.
*FULL DISCLOSURE: members of the Faylunchin crew have either worked here at one point and/or spent countless hours musing over life with friends. So forgive us if we wax a bit too sentimentally.
As you see above, their motto of “We’re not just a coffeehouse!” is a pretty bold statement. But if anything, this is an understatement. Just take a look at their menu below! (And for your information, we've omitted many of the photos. This menu had LOTS of pages.)
Okay...now that you’ve read the novella that is “The Common Grounds Menu”, it is time to talk about our last supper, er, brunch actually.
Harvey, indicative of his English upbringing, prefers tea over coffee, and can be quite particular over just what kind of tea he'll settle for. Common Grounds tea was not to his fancy. So instead, he opted for the vanilla bean (translation: sugar upon sugar with a dabble of sugary milk). If he didn’t have "diabeetus" before, then surely Harvey joined the Wilford Brimley club with his 10 lb. Chocolate Cake. Brave (or perhaps on a sugar high), Harvey attempted to finish the whole cake by himself. Valiant effort, sir, but no mortal can consume that much sugar and dairy and hope to survive!
Alas fans! This is the exact reason why Faylunchin is a trio instead of a one-man show. What seems an insurmountable summit for one is no match for the Les Trois Mousquetaires of food eating – one for all and all for one! Luckily for Harvey, Mike and Qi had coffee to help wash down their sugary morsels, and that leftover cake never stood a chance. Just as those caped Frenchmen were known to shout in all the Parisian bakeries: La victoire!
Harvey, indicative of his English upbringing, prefers tea over coffee, and can be quite particular over just what kind of tea he'll settle for. Common Grounds tea was not to his fancy. So instead, he opted for the vanilla bean (translation: sugar upon sugar with a dabble of sugary milk). If he didn’t have "diabeetus" before, then surely Harvey joined the Wilford Brimley club with his 10 lb. Chocolate Cake. Brave (or perhaps on a sugar high), Harvey attempted to finish the whole cake by himself. Valiant effort, sir, but no mortal can consume that much sugar and dairy and hope to survive!
Alas fans! This is the exact reason why Faylunchin is a trio instead of a one-man show. What seems an insurmountable summit for one is no match for the Les Trois Mousquetaires of food eating – one for all and all for one! Luckily for Harvey, Mike and Qi had coffee to help wash down their sugary morsels, and that leftover cake never stood a chance. Just as those caped Frenchmen were known to shout in all the Parisian bakeries: La victoire!
Speaking of Mike and Qi, they both decided to indulge one last time in The Common Grounds' Cinnamon Rolls, so good that they had to legally retitle them “Sinnful Rolls.” Ok, so maybe that’s not technically true, but it is delectable nevertheless. What is true, however, is Qi's history of coffee addiction. He opted for the endless cups of coffee that only the newest, hippest, and most feathery-beard-employed coffee shops ever offer anymore. It’s an old school thing, and Qi is old school at heart – some would even say that his face belies his actual age. In fact, like Dracula or even just Kiefer Sutherland, we may never know his true age…
Mike, on the other hand, went for something decidedly cooler and classier, the café mocha. A man of discerning taste and timeless class, his coffee choices are no exception. After all, he's been drinking coffee since the ripe age of seven; no really, that much coffee stunted his growth. He was supposed to be like 6'5".
Mike, on the other hand, went for something decidedly cooler and classier, the café mocha. A man of discerning taste and timeless class, his coffee choices are no exception. After all, he's been drinking coffee since the ripe age of seven; no really, that much coffee stunted his growth. He was supposed to be like 6'5".
Now, you might be thinking to yourself “I thought Faylunchin was a food blog, but they never even ordered real food.” And you would be 100% correct. We'd love to tell you to go there and try the food for yourselves, share your experiences with us, but as they're no longer in operation....oh well. You can still read old Yelp reviews if you feel so obliged.
Fret not. Because we believe what made Common Grounds unique, what gave it it’s raison d'être, transcended the food itself. Common Grounds was a gathering place, first and foremost. Sure, it's food was not Michelin Star-worthy, and sure, they weren't lauded for impeccable service. Members of the Faylunchin crew have visited the restaurant on multiple occasions, independent of each other, and found the fare underwhelming, the service marching to the beat of their own drums. But what kept Common Grounds going, and its patrons willing to ignore the occasional food mishaps was in its namesake -- a place where guests might find common ground. Perhaps this is why their menu is so comprehensive. No matter what your tastes are, or your mood, chances are you'll find something to satisfy your senses.
Fret not. Because we believe what made Common Grounds unique, what gave it it’s raison d'être, transcended the food itself. Common Grounds was a gathering place, first and foremost. Sure, it's food was not Michelin Star-worthy, and sure, they weren't lauded for impeccable service. Members of the Faylunchin crew have visited the restaurant on multiple occasions, independent of each other, and found the fare underwhelming, the service marching to the beat of their own drums. But what kept Common Grounds going, and its patrons willing to ignore the occasional food mishaps was in its namesake -- a place where guests might find common ground. Perhaps this is why their menu is so comprehensive. No matter what your tastes are, or your mood, chances are you'll find something to satisfy your senses.
Common Grounds was more than a restaurant, more than a coffee shop or expresso bar. Whatever people might choose to call it. It was a vessel, a vehicle if you will. Once you stepped foot inside, you were transported to a place without outcasts, a place where music, art, food, and most importantly, conversation occurred simultaneously. Perhaps a place where our creative seeds were planted, and later where the roots could take hold. Where mistakes from a Saturday night (or likely the wee hours of the morning) were washed down with a spicy, tomato cocktail on a Sunday afternoon. The Garden of Eden, ironically located, in a petri dish. |
For Faylunchin, this made Common Grounds beautiful and unique, and what provided its spunk for 18 years. And also what kept their doors open during the fallow times. Fayetteville was lucky to have a place like this for so long. It will be missed. RIP, Common Grounds.
But take heart, fellow lunchers, for out of the ashes a phoenix shall arise. When it does, you can bet on Faylunchin being there, trying to catch that bird with our forks, chopsticks, and hands.
But take heart, fellow lunchers, for out of the ashes a phoenix shall arise. When it does, you can bet on Faylunchin being there, trying to catch that bird with our forks, chopsticks, and hands.
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