New coffee shop gives Gallup a wake-up call

Analisa Chavez pours some lattes at Gourmet Cafe Ole on South Second Street Saturday. [Photo by John A. Bowersmith/Independent]

By Krista Foutz
For The Independent

GALLUP — The Chavez family had one simple reason for opening up Gourmet Coffee Ol on 1504 S. Second Street.

"For the love of coffee," said Eliza Chavez.

The family-run business offers a wide selection of specialty drinks from a Buzz Latte (a double shot of espresso with coffee and creme de cacao flavored syrup) to cafe con leche.

For those who aren't fans of coffee, they have licuados (milk blended with fresh fruit), smoothies, soft drinks, chai, and tea. They also serve breakfast items, salads, soups, sandwiches, pitas, and pastries.

"Everything is a specialty item," Chavez said.

Open since March, the restaurant is located in the building that formerly housed The Other Place, a bar that closed down last year when the owner Randy Johnson received several citations from the city and the state liquor department for selling to intoxicated people.

Johnson's liquor license was sold to local developer Rick Murphy who plans to use it for a restaurant he is building on East Highway 66 near the Red Rock 6 Theater,

The family completely redid the interior.

Chavez said the family had to put a great amount of effort into the renovation to change the atmosphere of the place from a bar to a coffee shop.

But the work isn't finished.

She said the family plans to expand the menu and is looking at adding a patio so that people can go outside to eat or drink.

The business is open Monday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.