December 31, 1992 - First Night Festival...
...they opened a street coffee cart, Pony Espresso, within Piazza Bergamo in Downtown Greenville, SC. The chilled New Year’s Eve crowd wanted hot chocolate & mochas. Friends & family, 9 in all, took turns making frantic trips to the nearby grocery for more milk.

Steve operated the cart during the weekday mornings while working evenings at the local newspaper. Dana continued as a graphic artist for a small downtown firm and teamed up with Steve on Friday and Saturday evenings at Pony Espresso. They met many new friends & learned alot about coffee.

Wheels Were Spinning...
The next step was to find a permanent indoor location. Dana and Steve shared their dream with a fellow cyclist, Cathy A., who wanted to open a retail bakery, so the three created a plan. They bought books: business start-up, partnership, layout & design and recipe books. Many possible business names were thrown about and debated for almost a year. They researched, negotiated, planned, got advice, cleaned, painted, built, stocked, got many inspections, hired & trained.

Perfect!
They leased 3600 SF of undeveloped underground space on the corner of Main St. & Coffee St. The largest room was designed as the main cafe filled with cozy seating, the front bar/service area and a tiny kitchen. An adjacent room was used as a gallery and for additional seating. The third was transformed into a theater where Jeff Sumerel directed live improv. shows & screened independent films.

May 1, 1995...
They opened the doors of Coffee Underground to a lively crowd. Luckily, Greenville craved this new option to the bar scene. A relaxing, comfortable non-smoking place to enjoy good coffee, sandwiches, homemade desserts, to take in a show & meet friends.

Over the Years...
After about one year, Cathy decided to pursue other business ventures, so Dana and Steve continued operating and perfecting CU. They expanded the menu by adding beer, wine and cordial drinks, and began table service in the evenings.

A few years later, Steve got an offer from The Wall Street Journal in NYC to work as a writer and editor, so he took off for the Big Apple. He has since moved to Paris, France where he lives with his wife, Cynthia, their new baby boy Perry and their dog Gaston. Since then, Dana Lowie, the last of the original three owners, continues to successfully operate CU along with a staff of 21. Coffee Underground is well into its 12th year, and is now considered a landmark of Downtown.

Here is a toast to many more happy years at CU.