The ‘Bean Scene’ Sprouting in O.C. : Fledgling Business Already Runs Into Snag
Blue Marble Coffeehouse has been open barely two months, but the casual establishment billed as a Bohemian-style cafe that blends “fine coffees and fine arts” has already attracted regulars.
“I love this place,” said Sharky Sherman, a Newport Beach computer sales manager who has been dropping by about once a week since early April. “One night you could see a folksy band, the next night some jazz and the following night a poetry reading.”
“I come in every other day,” said Paula Todd, who works as a nanny and lives close by. “I think it draws interesting people.”
Designed as a sit-and-stay-awhile alternative to the standard bar scene, Blue Marble on most nights presents acoustic jazz, folk and contemporary music by mostly local performers, poetry readings, short theatrical skits and open-mike night talent shows. Each month, an emerging visual artist will be showcased, his or her works adorning the walls.
“We built this place to help new artists get exposure (because) we know how hard that is,” said co-owner Tesh Burke, who once played keyboards and guitar in Rated Ten, a local rock band.
The 35-seat eatery is the newest among a growing number of local outlets offering artistic fare along with fresh brews. Co-owner Barry Burke, Tesh’s brother, said he hopes such endeavors stem a tide of culture seekers leaving Orange County.
“You get all these people going to Long Beach for entertainment,” said Barry Burke, who also owns two other local restaurants. “This will keep them here.”
The Burke brothers, who are partners in the venture with Lisa Burke, Barry’s wife, and Lola Galindo, Tesh’s fiancee, have run into one snag: Earlier this month, the Costa Mesa Planning Commission denied Blue Marble an entertainment permit, ruling that eight more parking spaces would be needed to accommodate patrons.
Tesh and Barry Burke have appealed to the City Council (and have a June 17 hearing) on the grounds that owners of neighboring properties have agreed to share their parking spots, making about 20 more available.
During one Planning Commission meeting, a resident who lives near the coffeehouse complained that music would attract “riffraff,” Tesh Burke said. While he doesn’t think that is behind the permit denial, he asserts that his clientele spells anything but trouble.
“If you look around, I think it speaks for itself,” he said on a recent Friday evening that drew a near-capacity crowd that looked no more dubious than any gathering at the Orange County Fair.
Clean-cut yuppie couples sipped frothy cappuccino in the relaxed, intimate atmosphere. A few men, including Tesh Burke, wore an earring or their hair in a ponytail, but there were also fresh-faced children present.
“They get a lot of people that play good music, and I like the blues,” said 13-year-old Tim Overby, washing down a slab of chocolate fudge cake with a Coke. Accompanied by his father and 10-year-old brother, he sat beside a couple who were playing checkers.
There was a conspicuous lack of smoke--cigarettes are forbidden--black-leather jackets and dark corners. The restaurant, which serves light meals and supplies coffee for Black Market Art Gallery, was positively well-lit, providing plenty of illumination to see Israeli artist Zohar Wertheim’s globular abstracts and guitarists Wes and Victoria Hamil, who sang soulful folk melodies from a tiny platform stage.
Tesh Burke, who books Blue Marble’s entertainment, said most musicians are either his friends or people who “walk in off the street” and request an audition. The music leans toward light, easy-listening fare, rather than anything with a cutting-edge, amplified beat, because city regulations allow only acoustic music at the location, he said. As for continuing with entertainment while his permit appeal proceeds, city officials “didn’t say we couldn’t,” he said.
That suits UC Irvine graduate student Margaret Rubega just fine. After paying her first visit to Blue Marble last week, Rubega said: “Orange County is such a cultural wasteland that the idea of any place where you can hang out and listen to someone play music, without spending $20, is great.”
* Blue Marble Coffeehouse, 1907 Harbor Blvd., Costa Mesa. Hours: Monday through Thursday, 6:30 a.m.-10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 6:30 a.m.-midnight; Sunday, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. No cover charge. General information: (714) 646-5776. Entertainment information: (714) 550-4729.
