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Zele wants to offer more than java buzz

Janet Urquhart
Aspen Times Staff Writer

Zele Cafe and its sister outlet, the Zele Music Cafe, are looking to add cocktails, beer and wine to their coffee offerings and join Aspen’s evening lounge scene.

In addition, the music cafe wants to add live music to its mix, according to J.R. Richards, general manager for both locations.

The liquor license applications for both establishments are scheduled for review by the Aspen Liquor Licensing Authority next week.



At the original Zele Cafe on Galena Street, the operators envision a wine bar/lounge atmosphere during the evening hours.

“Once things transition to the evening, we’d like to drop the lights a little bit … make it more of a lounge,” Richards said.




Cocktails, fine wines, perhaps a couple of martinis and some unique Belgian beers would be offered. So would coffees infused with liqueurs and some new takes on Zele’s fruit smoothies, along with desserts and tapas, he said.

At the music cafe on the Cooper Avenue mall, currently a combination CD store/coffeehouse, operators are looking to step things up notch with apres-ski live music and a lounge-style atmosphere during the evening, according to Richards.

“We want to go to more of a live music venue, to be able to provide acoustic music, maybe bands now and then,” he said.

The cafe would also like to host DJs, and there may be some dancing, but it won’t be a nightclub.

“Not thumping, cranking DJ music like you’d find at a club,” Richards stressed. “More of a live-music lounge.

“We need more live music in town. We definitely intend to fill a niche,” he said.

[Janet Urquhart’s e-mail address is janet@aspentimes.com]