1923 COFFEE HOUSE

Part of the new wave of Polish business in Hamtramck, the Café 1923 coffee house on Holbrook east of Lumpkin, directly opposite the Kowalski factory.

Sean Kowalski and Shannon Lowell are at the helm of trendy, ‘next generation’ Hamtramck shopkeepers. Despite the location, Kowalski is not related to the sausage makers. Sean Kowalski’s great-grandfather, Paul Zukowski constructed the yellow brick building at 2287 Holbrook in 1923 and opened up a local candy store / corner grocery and soda shop—hence the 1923 designation in the company name.

Sean, a lawyer, moved into the upstairs apartment while in law school and decided that the building had worth as a business opportunity as well as a place to stack his law books.

Open since Oct. 1, Café 1923 features free wireless access, table seating in the accommodating front room, an outdoor patio and a smoking lounge in the rear of the building. Besides coffee and coffee drinks, it serves tea, smoothies, sandwiches and Sunday bagels.

Much of the charm of Café 1923 is related to the nostalgic feel of the business, including the vintage Coca Cola chest, a visual icon that can’t be missed as you walk in the building, but equally, to the eager sentiments of both Sean and Shannon, whose dedication to the business and to Hamtramck as a vital historical.. but also, future-oriented area, will doubtless insure their success.