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A Short History of ATTICUS Bookstore/Café
by Charles Negaro The location in the Yale Center for British Art, perhaps the best retail location in New Haven, evolved from a trip to an Asian Grocery store in 1975. It was one of the few vegetarian alternatives and sought out by my friend Janie Kaplan, who has raised three exceptionally talented daughters and has herself become a successful children’s book author. If the beginning was accidental, it was also a prelude to an incredible cadre of creative people who made Atticus a New Haven icon: a destination for tens of thousands of students, New Havenites, and celebrities. The bookstore opened in 1976, before the museum itself. It was designed by Jay Bright, who emulated the white oak finish of the Louis Kahn interior of the museum. The two comfortable chairs, visible from the street, and the custom designed fixtures were a significant counterpoint to the generic mall stores of the era. In 1980, we relocated an adjacent cheese store and expanded. The first manager of the bookstore was George Wagner, whom we recruited from the 24 Store a block away. He knew more about books than anyone I have met in all my years in the business. He would hold a trade paperback in his hand and literally feel its appeal. He left, along with another employee, to form a competitor that still exists today. In 1981, greatly impressed by Kramer Books and Afterwords in DC, we built a café. There had been a series of attempts, including a proposal to build it in the Atticus Annex, one block down Chapel Street. The original concept had been a few small tables tucked away in the rear of the store with customers being able to get coffee and Italian pastries. But along came interior designer Steve Cohen and menu consultant Wayne Ely. Steve created a design that carved out half of the space and Wayne created a menu of soups, sandwiches, special desserts and morning pastries. And we were overrun. Suddenly, without a clue, we were in the food business. Henry Posner, on sabbatical from his management/ownership role at Kramer, arrived in time to save us from imploding. Wayne, meanwhile, had arranged for a local caterer to supply our menu with daily deliveries. It was an immense success for us. The caterer, however, decided to leave the business and we, by necessity, took over their facility and began to supply ourselves. It began a marvelous adventure that lasts to this day. The staff, exceptionally talented amateurs, created products and energy that have driven the café for over 25 years, through two renovations, the vagaries of business in downtown New Haven and the start up of the Chabaso Bakery. I cannot imagine that any professionals would have had the courage to experiment as they did. John Ryan, a cellist, was the spirit. He created the black bean soup that we still sell today, the almond bars and inspired a host of artists and musician to generate incredible stuff. Last we knew, he was in Chicago with a symphony orchestra and writing restaurant reviews. Last time I saw him, he was selling garlic at a farmer’s market. Ken Ayvazian, recently graduated from Yale, created the spectacular desserts that were signature items at Atticus for many years. He has become an exceptional dessert chef in one of New Haven’s best restaurants. He was also the master of a number of savory dishes that we served at the café. Much later, he was instrumental in starting the Chabaso Bakery. Kyle Staver left the most enduring legacy. She made the baguettes that we served for over 10 years as the foundation of the café sandwich program. It was the best bread in New Haven. She also created the scones and muffins which we still make. She recruited and trained a succession of art students who carried on the baguette tradition when she left to attend the Yale Art School. In 1995, Chabaso Bakery started, based on the appeal and acceptance of that baguette. Kyle went on to get a graduate degree from the Yale Art School and today successfully shows her paintings in NYC. This fall, she will have a show in London. In 2007, to commemorate the third revision of a fully redesigned café, she inaugurated another great tradition. We designed one wall of the café to accomodate paintings, and as it turns out, other artistic forms. There is now a new show about every six weeks as we proudly participate in showcasing a small part of the remarkable talent that pervades the New Haven region. The proximity to Yale, and in particular the Yale Repertory Theater, brought a constant flow of celebrities through the café. August Wilson was seen rewriting plays that were being performed for the first time. Athol Fugard premiered at the Rep and spent many hours in the café. We have seen business blips every graduation, often driven by the secret service group accompanying one or another former president. In 1995, we launched a wholesale bakery, based on the products and reputation of Atticus. The idea began with the recognition that the small converted house on Crown Street that we referred to as the ‘kitchen’ could no longer accommodate the café. Simultaneously, European style, ‘artisan’ breads were surfacing. By that time, Kyle’s baguette, with origins somewhere between Minnesota and Paris, was the best bread in town. It was close to the only good bread in town. We wove the expansion of the Atticus kitchen into a wholesale bakery plan and started Chabaso, named after my three children, Charlie, Abbie, And Sophia. Today Chabaso sells a unique range of ciabatta products throughout New England, metropolitan New York, and as far away as Florida. --- If you have an Atticus anecdote or story you’d like to share, send your submissions to
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