Ferndale, Taking Shape
As Ferndale takes shape, we spoke with Trevor Corlett, Founder of Madcap Coffee, about what drew us here and how this space continues to evolve.
Ferndale will be Madcap’s newest café. What drew you to this neighborhood, and how do you see it shaping the experience of this space?
We wanted to open another space in close proximity to our Detroit location, and in a community that would really celebrate the deeper things Madcap does with coffee. Ferndale gives us the opportunity to lean into elevated coffee experiences in ways we’ve only dabbled in before.
From Grand Rapids to Detroit, each space has carried a distinct identity. What have you learned along the way, and how is Ferndale a continuation or a shift of that thinking?
Every Madcap café has aspects specific to the neighborhood and community it’s in. Whether that’s a downtown space catering to offices and tourists, a residential spot serving the neighborhood, or a high-volume location with lots of transient traffic. We’ve always tried to make each one feel native to where it lives.
Ferndale is no different in that sense, but it will be our largest café to date. There will be a lot of unique seating designed around the different types of guests we’re expecting. Located in Ferndalehaus Lofts, we want a space that appeals to residents, the broader local community, and visitors alike.
When someone walks into Ferndale for the first time, what do you hope they feel and what do you hope they leave understanding differently about coffee?
We want it to feel unmistakably like a Madcap space. Clean, modern, and intentional design that exists to elevate the coffee experience. We’ve partnered with Black Helmut to design and build all of our fixtures. The space incorporates a variety of materials to create distinct areas where guests can enjoy coffee in different ways.
The centerpiece will be the service bar, made up of multiple service islands with lots of bar seating. The goal is to create more touch points for guests to engage with our team about the coffee, and to give us new opportunities for types of coffee service we haven’t offered anywhere else.
How does the bar program in Ferndale reflect where Madcap is today, both in terms of coffee sourcing and how you think about drinks?
The hope is that Ferndale’s bar program creates more opportunities to talk about the coffee value stream; our role in it, and how that shows up in the final cup.
Madcap has always been rooted in both craft and community. What role do you hope the Ferndale café plays in its neighborhood over time?
Between the space design and the addition of a dedicated training area, we’re hoping Ferndale becomes a place where the community can come together with us to explore and learn more about coffee.
