Temescal's Clove & Hoof is expanding its service with a nod to yesteryear by opening an old fashioned soda fountain that serves house-made malts and root beer.
“Clove & Hoof has historically been a little bit low on desserts,” said co-owner Analiesa Gosnell. That’s because the restaurant was built to prioritize the food offerings of a classic American delicatessen. “We didn’t build it out for dessert making, we built it out for sandwich making,” she said.
“We’ve had some really great chocolate chip cookies the entire time and we knew we needed to change that,” said Gosnell, noting that “American foods require American desserts.”
Gosnell and co-owner John Blevins were looking for a way to incorporate an adjoining retail space into part of the lease for Clove & Hoof. The space, previously occupied by a hair salon, was too small to allow for any grand kitchen expansion.
“We couldn’t put any hoods in it. We couldn’t make any big changes to it,” said Gosnell. “So we decided to make it a customer space.”
The new fountain may offer up some classic nostalgia in line with Clove & Hoof’s vintage feel, but customers can expect more than just cherry phosphates. The shop will work with Five Flavors Herbs to get some modern seasonal, updates on the old standbys, and also offer regional variations from across the country, such as New York style egg creams.
Clove & Hoof will remain open during renovation. To increase customer access, Gosnell and Blevins intend to break down a wall and add another door. Despite all the major changes, Gosnell anticipates no great delays and hopes to have the fountain up and serving by the end of the year.
Though as the business approaches its busiest time of year, Gosnell and Blevins will keep the focus exactly where it’s always been, on quality meat products. With the holiday season fast approaching, Gosnell wants to ensure that the restaurant will prioritize the hams, roasts and turkeys that customers have come to expect from Clove & Hoof.
“We really want to give our customers everything we can,” said Gosnell. “But if we’re going to be delayed for any reason it’s just because we’re going to concentrate on doing the holidays the right way.”
