As the steady pitter-patter of rain rhythmically beat against the car, my Filipino friend and I ventured onward searching for coffee, food, and belonging. Our destination: an amiable atmosphere filled with a platoon of platonic conversationalists seeking warm refuge from another overcast and rainy Savannah Saturday.
Scurrying from the car, dodging raindrops and puddles, we had finally made it home: to Foxy Loxy Print Gallery and Cafe. With a turn of a knob and a jingle of bells, we found refuge in warm personalities and the building that houses one of Savannah's most unique coffeehouses.
A single story complete with living, dining and sun room, it felt as though we'd returned to our respective concepts of home rather than a business. Shuffling across the wooden floor to the counter, we decided on a meal from their delectable Tex-Mex offerings.
Initially the lack of available seating placed us in the awkward social situation of standing around like the last kids to be picked for dodgeball. This might not be the situation for long, as a recent Kickstarter campaign envisions an upstairs expansion to allow for more seating and space for art exhibitions and music performances in the charming Victorian house.
Taking charge and embracing the current homey atmosphere, the two of us took seats in the dining room, joining two others at the large dark wooden table intended for six.
Drinking the signature Foxy Loxy blend from Perc Coffee (also available at its Broughton Street sister café, The Coffee Fox) from our wide-mouthed cups, we began reflecting, reveling and gossiping. As Ernest Van R. Stiles gazed down upon me from the nearest wall I slowly started on my sea green poblano and potato soup, served in a seemingly bottomless Cerulean blue metal camping cup.
Conversation quelled by Foxy's indescribably amazing food, I began to truly notice the walls and doors adorned with art and prints showcasing owner Jennifer Jenkins' talents as a printmaker alongside local posters for music lessons and upcoming shows.
Allowing the soundscape of RJD2 and Wax Tailor coupled with the steady strum of keyboard clicks to infiltrate my mind and mood, I witnessed a slew of people enter Foxy Loxy seeking the same things I had sought: Coffee, food, atmosphere, and and inevitably, seating.
Despite the perpetual challenge of finding a place to sit the influx of customers continued with many settling and sitting next to strangers. It was then I knew why I had a fondness for this Savannah staple. While the lack of seats can be problematic, it paves the way for a sense of community in patrons having to share tables, couches and counters.
It's this sense of community alongside the culinary concoctions and soothing soundscape that makes Foxy Loxy stand out. I certainly hope it will retain it as it grows to accomodate more people looking for coffee, good food and a cozy place to enjoy them.
It's not just any place to grab coffee, it's a home for the Savannah community.
An array of definitions and ways to say "home" exist, but it is the warmth and sense of community one feels that makes home what it truly is -- where one is happy and relatively free to be what they are.
