TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Two different businesses with one thing in common are new to Tallahassee. One is in an old gas station. The other is in an old coffee shop.
Though the concepts might be new to the area, the people running them are not. You might know Michael James Robinson from the Northeast part of Tallahassee where he owns Ma’s Diner.
“I’ve always kept my eye on this side of town,” Robinson said. “When I saw All Saints Café was available, I thought it was a great opportunity.” That led his business journey south, to the building on Railroad Avenue.
“When I first moved to Tallahassee, one of my first jobs was bar tending at Warhorse Whiskey Bar which is right across the street here,” Robinson explained.
That was in 2017.
Now, six years later, he is working to re-open this former coffee shop that’s sat quietly unused for nearly a year now. It’s called City Dogs Café. “It is going to be a hot dog café, but the concept is also housed in an old train station,” Robinson added.
A short walk away, South Station is catering to crowds with a concept centered on cocktails and comfort food. That includes boiled peanuts, hot dogs and slushies.
Tyler Sheridan is the bar manager. Though their menu may have a similar offering to City Dogs, this venture is part of the Seven Hills Hospitality Group.
“We have a good following within the group itself,” Sheridan said. “I think anytime we add a new concept to the company people get really excited.”
Both businesses join an already thriving community. South Station is just steps away from the SoMo Walls Development and right up the street from Railroad Crossings. City Dogs is walking distance from Railroad Square, the newly opened Leon County Visitors Center and land where two new hotels are planned.
Both leaders are working to attract more visitors to the southern end of the Capital City.
As for the murals on the outside of City Dogs Café, Robinson said me he plans to keep those in place. He’s also looking to showcase local artists on the inside of the building.
To add to that, at South Station, Sheridan said he’s looking at putting on community events that can make the most of that massive green space out front.
