The Thinking Cup Gets a Partial Green Light

The Thinking Cup coffee shop won a neighborhood committee's partial approval to open in the current Derne Street Deli spot, but with conditions that might make the plan a no-go.

A manager from the cafe appeared before the Beacon Hill Civic Association's Zoning and Licensing Committee Wednesday night to ask it not to oppose plans to open a coffee shop at 14-16 Derne Street that includes 28 indoor seats and as many as 20 outdoor seats. The proposed hours of operation are 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.

A Derne Street cafe would be similar to the company's other coffee shop, at 165 Tremont St., directly across from the Boston Common. It does not have televisions and does not offer wireless internet access. Instead, it plays jazz or lounge music at a low volume, allowing friends to meet for a coffee and a chat – not for students to "camp with their laptop," according to manager Brett Derocker. It also offers sandwiches, salads and freshly baked pastries prepared on site.

The cafe would make the pastries for its Derne Street shop on site as well, in a basement kitchen.

"My personal feeling is that it would be a welcome addition to that corner," Ania Camargo, who lives on neighboring Temple Street, said. Camargo is also the chairwoman of the Beacon Hill Civic Association but was not speaking in that capacity but rather as a neighbor who would be affected. Camargo pointed out that a cafe would brighten a corner that's dark in the evening, which is one of the issues the community brought up during the Capital One/Charles Street Market issue. 

Still, she said, she doesn't think there is enough information about the outdoor seating plan to go foward with an approval. 

Likewise, the concept, hours of operation and other details were all agreeable to most of the other neighbors at the meeting – except for the outdoor seating.

Derocker, who appeared without the cafe's owners or architects, did not know how large the sidewalk is in front of the Derne Street Deli or whether it's sufficiently spacious not to impede pedestrians and to allow people in wheelchairs to pass. 

Many neighbors were not only put off by the apparent obstruction, they were concerned about possible noise from outdoor tables – especially at night – and the likelihood that debris from the tables would end up on the street, either by careless customers or wind. How these problems would be addressed remained unclear in the absence of the owners. 

"I would feel somewhat uncomfortable, given the lack of information, not opposing this," Tom Clemens, the committee's chairman, said. 

When Clemens asked Derocker whether the outdoor seating element was essential to the business plan, Derocker said that it might be. 

The committee chose to separate the outdoor seating issue from the rest of the plan until it had more information. It then unanimously voted not to oppose the indoor part of the plan subject to a Good Neighbor Agreement, to any issues with air conditioning being addressed and on the condition that The Thinking Cup come before the committee for another hearing on outdoor seating before it seeks approval from the city Board of Appeals.

The BHCA Zoning and Licensing Committee does not have power to grant or deny variances but its support of or opposition to any plans carries significant weight with the city board.

The Thinking Cup is scheduled to present its plans to the ZBA on March 15. When asked after the meeting if the cafe will go ahead and present the outdoor seating element at that hearing, Derocker said he didn't know. Two emails from Patch to the cafe's owners have been unreturned.