With the addition of an Alterra coffee shop and Majestic Theatre's Live on King Street concert series, the Capitol Square's southeast corner has upped its cool factor over the past year. Now the block's other java joint, Ancora Coffee Roasters, 112 King St., is joining in as well. The shop will start hosting live music as early as July 25. Wednesdays will feature an open mic helmed by barista and singer-songwriter Joe Van Hecke, and Thursdays will have acoustic pop, jazz and more.
The music is one of several changes at the shop, which Mark and Tori Mitchell took over from Tom Walzer on May 1. Walzer bought Ancora from original owners George and Sue Krug a few months earlier. Since the Mitchells took the reins, the shop has added nighttime hours and a menu of alcoholic beverages.
"We used to close at 5:30, so this is a big transition, being open until 10," Tori says of the new weeknight entertainment. "We want to provide something for couples and groups of friends to do downtown on Wednesday and Thursday nights, which can be kind of slow."
