A couple of weeks ago, poet Peter Krok got me interested in a bank near where he lives. It was the Drexel Hill branch of the St. Edmond's Bank. One reason I was interested is that the main St. Edmond's branch is on Passyunk Avenue (Pa-SHUNK, to you non-South Phillyites) just a few blocks away from where I live. But the other reason was the bank's unusual added dimension: It had subletted a large portion of its premises to the Crossroads Coffee House of Roxborough. (By the way, the bank has nothing to do with saints or the church. At least not exactly. Years ago, Philadelphia neighborhoods tended to be identified by whatever parish was there. The bank was founded 96 years ago in what was then St. Edmond's parish.)
Anyway, I was curious enough to hop on a train to Ardmore last Wednesday morning. I was met at the station by John Durso, the manager of St. Edmond's Ardmore branch, who drove me over to the Drexel Hill branch.
On the outside, as you can see, it looks pretty much like any other bank branch you'd find in a shopping center. Inside is something else. It's been very nicely done up. There are tables and chairs, WiFi, HDTV. I watched one guy, obviously a regular, come in with his laptop, say hi to the people at the counter, and set himself in what is evidently his favorite corner (where the chairs are comfy) before getting himself a cuppa.
If you look at the picture of the counter where you order up coffee, pastries and the like, you can just see that behind there is the old bank vault. It's the kitchen now (the bank's moolah is now at another, undisclosed location). The standard counter in the center, where you get things like deposit slips, now serves a dual purpose. On one side you can still get deposit slips - and also business cards of the bank's clients, a sort of real-life version of a blogroll - and on the other you can get what you need to fix up your coffee. And of course there is a bank operating there, as you can see in the picture on the right, complete with real live - and very friendly - tellers.
So what's the point of it all? Well, how about poetry readings? How about meetings of book clubs? John Durso told me there's a huge space downstairs just waiting to be utilized. It's also worth noting that it makes banking a heck of a lot more personal than it has been for quite some time.
I see it as an innovation with a lot of potential. We all know that Starbucks isn't just a coffee franchise, but a network of meeting places. Having a coffee shop attached to a bank makes the bank seem less purely commercial, but obviously serves to bring together people who have a common interest - money. And, when it comes to books, what better place to have a book club specializing in books dealing with money matters, the economy, personal investment? God knows, most of the world's poets could use some instruction in that regard.
This is a venture worth keeping an eye - which we intend to do.
By the way, the Philadelphia Business Journal did a piece about this also, which made it into the Denver Business Journal: New bank branch mingles deposits and cappuccinos.
Update: I forgot to mention that the coffee is a heck of lot better than Starbucks'.
Anyway, I was curious enough to hop on a train to Ardmore last Wednesday morning. I was met at the station by John Durso, the manager of St. Edmond's Ardmore branch, who drove me over to the Drexel Hill branch.
On the outside, as you can see, it looks pretty much like any other bank branch you'd find in a shopping center. Inside is something else. It's been very nicely done up. There are tables and chairs, WiFi, HDTV. I watched one guy, obviously a regular, come in with his laptop, say hi to the people at the counter, and set himself in what is evidently his favorite corner (where the chairs are comfy) before getting himself a cuppa.
If you look at the picture of the counter where you order up coffee, pastries and the like, you can just see that behind there is the old bank vault. It's the kitchen now (the bank's moolah is now at another, undisclosed location). The standard counter in the center, where you get things like deposit slips, now serves a dual purpose. On one side you can still get deposit slips - and also business cards of the bank's clients, a sort of real-life version of a blogroll - and on the other you can get what you need to fix up your coffee. And of course there is a bank operating there, as you can see in the picture on the right, complete with real live - and very friendly - tellers.
So what's the point of it all? Well, how about poetry readings? How about meetings of book clubs? John Durso told me there's a huge space downstairs just waiting to be utilized. It's also worth noting that it makes banking a heck of a lot more personal than it has been for quite some time.
I see it as an innovation with a lot of potential. We all know that Starbucks isn't just a coffee franchise, but a network of meeting places. Having a coffee shop attached to a bank makes the bank seem less purely commercial, but obviously serves to bring together people who have a common interest - money. And, when it comes to books, what better place to have a book club specializing in books dealing with money matters, the economy, personal investment? God knows, most of the world's poets could use some instruction in that regard.
This is a venture worth keeping an eye - which we intend to do.
By the way, the Philadelphia Business Journal did a piece about this also, which made it into the Denver Business Journal: New bank branch mingles deposits and cappuccinos.
Update: I forgot to mention that the coffee is a heck of lot better than Starbucks'.
Just a quick comment regarding the basement. Since we have been open for a short time, we have not properly Zoned the basement yet. That being Said we would entertain any conversation regarding the space in the lobby area of the bank/coffee shop.
ReplyDelete-John Durso, St. Edmond's FSB.
Congratulations, John, for figuring out how to post a comment! And thanks.
ReplyDelete"(Pa-SHUNK, to you non-South Phillyites)"
ReplyDeleteSouthwest Philly (Good Shepherd and St. Irenaus parishes, BTW) doesn't say it like that, either. My family all say "Passy-UNK" or maybe "Pass-YUNK."
Dialects aside, I always wondered why St. Edmonds was named that! I thought it was a British bank expanding over here; I didn't know it was Philly-grown and named for its home parish! Thanks, Frank.
You're right Frank. In fact most people in the rest of Philly don't pronounce it the way we do.
ReplyDeleteI always say "Passy-UNK," but then I tend to mispronounce many things 'cause I read 'em more than i say 'em. I think using these public spaces as you've suggested is a great idea, Frank.
ReplyDeleteNote to Brian Tierney: Put a cafe in the lobby of the Inquirer/Daily News building on North Broad and you will reap A LOT of money! The nearest Starbucks is down by Whole Foods on Callowhill and there's no other decent cafe in the vicinity. Great use of otherwise wasted space! And thanks to the last mayor's initiative, Wifi should work there no problem.
The Drexel Hill location is open for business at 7 a.m. and allows customers to make deposits and take out a loan, but also get WiFi access and a latte. The bank will be closed Sundays, though the coffee shop will be open seven days a week. When you have time please stop by to see what's brewing in my office. I Look forward to meeting you.
ReplyDeleteKathy Thorne, St.Edmond's FSB.
Branch Manager,
Drexel Hill Office
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