Old Cuss Cafe is a community gathering space in Salt Lake City, Utah built around good coffee, honest food and a place worth spending time in. Led by Brent'lee Williams and Chef Chandler Bailey, Old Cuss serves a fully vegetarian menu with deep roots in local sourcing and handmade craft.

The project came to Solstice as a historic retrofit, carving out a compliant restaurant and cafe out of the unoccupied ground floor of an existing historic building. The constraints were real and code requirements for a commercial food service space below residential space in a historic building without modern fire protection were significant. The existing structure shaped every decision. Solstice worked closely with the contractor, Revival Development, throughout, treating it as a true collaboration through every phase of the project.

The existing wood floors were refinished and kept. The timber frame basement was retained as a defining feature of the space to allow for future growth. Rather than stripping back to start fresh, the design focused on revealing what was already there and bringing it up to meet current accessibility and building standards.

The north facing storefront brings generous daylight into the space without much effort, creating a cozy, well-lit cafe space overlooking Pierpont Avenue. Out back, an outdoor gathering area was created as part of larger upgrades to the building and property, giving the cafe room to breathe beyond its four walls.

Old Cuss is a project that required getting the most out of every dollar and every square foot. The result is a space that feels like it has always been there. Stop by, grab a coffee and a bite, and see for yourself. 325 W Pierpont Ave, Salt Lake City, Utah 84101.