Talbot Café, formerly known as Tartine Café, opened recently with a refreshed look, vibe and menu at 244 Gough Street.

When owner Scot Talbot and his wife bought the existing coffeeshop at 244 Gough Street two years ago, they didn't change much, including the name and décor, from the previous owners. As new business owners themselves, they just wanted to maintain the momentum that the café had established. As time went on and they became more seasoned, they decided to detour from the café's traditional French bistro roots to compete with some of the larger, more stylized coffee shops in the neighborhood. This summer, they began remodeling the space while making functional upgrades to kitchen and food preparation equipment. In the remodel, they painted over the murals that used to cover the walls, and brought in some more contemporary furniture. Not all the changes were about appearances -- they also completely revamped the menu. While they still carry pastries from Kensington-based Semifreddi's Bakery, they've added more artisan salads, sandwiches, omelets and other items. Scot says he's planning to rotate the items on the menu while they figure out what customers like. "We'll be seeing what works and what doesn't," he says. "But if there's a sandwich that brings in a bunch of people day after day, then we'll keep it." In addition to this new menu, the café received a permit to sell beer and wine. Scot plans to experiment with staying open until 10pm on Thursday, Friday and Saturday in the coming months. Additionally, Talbot will host more art openings and live musical performances in the near future. "People were just all over this place," Scot says about the success of their last art opening. All in all, Scot notes that customers have been happy with the transformation. "Everyone has been super positive about the changes," he says. But he's still eager for feedback from the public -- so be sure to stop by Talbot to check out the latest improvements, and let Scot know what you think.