Ted Bitter grew up in Jamaica “in one of those houses where everyone gathered.”
“Every neighborhood has that place where the whole community comes together,” Bitter said. “My mom was a great cook and she loved to entertain.”
BitterӪs lifelong dream of creating a neighborhood hangout of his own was realized with the opening of BeanRunner Caf̩, PeekskillӪs new, trendy caf̩ in the artistsӪ district.
This is the first business venture for Bitter, whose day begins at 5 a.m. and ends close to midnight.
The café is in the newly restored landmark building, which previously housed the Peekskill Hairnet factory and Gardineer”™s Hardware and Stove Shop. Built in 1850, the building originally had a blacksmith and wagon repair shop. Â
The building was restored by lifelong Peekskill resident Drew Claxton, an avid preservationist and Bitter”™s partner.
Claxton, who was on the city”™s historic preservation board and is now on the City Council, bought the building in 2002.
“I just love old buildings and this is a building that has a good soul,” Claxton said. “I like to see old buildings come back to life and this was a building that in most people”™s eye would have become a parking lot.”
It was a gut-rehab, Claxton said, and “if you really looked at the building you could see the brickwork underneath. You could see that there was some real character to the building.”
Claxton worked with an engineer, Mike Domenelli, to restore the building as well as Mount Kisco-based architect Jerry Hager.Â
The preservation carpenter who did the Mahogany Storefront and replicated the hay-loft doors is John Beers.
Lisa Bresnak, an artist, helped consult on color.Â
Kelli Bickman, the artist who will have her opening at the café during the grand opening, is also the person who created the signs for the café.
And many preservationists and community members helped to give Claxton and Bitter advice and moral support.Â
“I”™ve been looking at buildings in Peekskill almost all my life and we have an unbelievable inventory of very beautiful architectural and historic buildings,” Claxton said. “With some real care and someone interested in bringing buildings back to life, I think there”™s not a building in the downtown that couldn”™t be well-restored.”
Both Claxton and Bitter believe Peekskill is an underrated gem and they wanted to bring a high quality, family friendly eatery/gallery/performance space to the city.
Claxton, an economic consultant, and Bitter, an auditor, have put their entire lives into the building and the business.
“We have spent our retirement money and savings,” Claxton said. “It”™s a big leap of faith, but I do believe that it is the small, independent person who really believes in the community that is going to come in, particularly in hard times and make that commitment to the community.”
Above the café are two lofts ”“ one is 1,200 square feet and the other is 1,400 square feet ”“ with hardwood floors, high ceilings, skylights, exposed brick and rooftop decks.
Bitter is a former national class, long distance runner who has volunteered as a track coach for the Westchester Striders for the past 10 years.
Bitter shares his energy and passion for running with children and teens ages 6 through 16, and the caf̩Ӫs kidӪs room, a colorful environment with an arts and sports theme that will offer fun and creative activities for children, was created for them.
The room offers kid-size tables and chairs and arts and recreation supplies and equipment including an air walker, balance beam, art easels, a slide, toys, rockers, art supplies and bean bag games. Children are encouraged to compete against the “beanman” (Bitter) to win a cookie.
“My big struggle is to maintain service and quality,” Bitter said. “I”™m looking forward to growing with my staff.”
Profit is not the key to success for Bitter.
“I want to be successful of living out that dream and proving a very good service,” Bitter said. “If it becomes profitable, that”™s icing on the cake.”
