Wandering the streets of Paris in celebration of our 10th anniversary last month, my wife and I spotted a sign that stopped us in our tracks. It was the familiar Cafe Presse logo — transported 5,000-plus miles and rotated a bit. Compare: Cafe Presse, Seattle vs. Cafe Presse, Paris.
No mere coincidence! After all, Cafe Presse (and Le Pichet) owners Joanne Herron and Jim Drohman have created a couple of successful, informal French restaurants in Seattle and are very deliberate in cultivating authenticity. Jim studied the culinary arts in France. [Update 1:] And, as a commenter below noted, the “Cafe Presse” logo is somewhat ubiquitous in Paris. It’s used (licensed?) as a symbol by news vendors.
Unfortunately, this particular Cafe Presse location was closed when we walked by, so we couldn’t compare the experience, but a peek inside the darkened windows indicated that it lacked the charm and ambiance of its Seattle doppelganger. We also very much doubt this particular Parisian establishment offers chicken quite so tasty as the cooked-to-order Poulet roti a votre commande of the 12th Avenue location (you’ve not tried it yet? Sacrebleu! Recession or no, there’s really no excuse!).
I sent an email last Thursday to the owners of Cafe Presse, Seattle to ask about the coincidence in logo design but have not yet received a response to that inquiry. Thankfully, it looks like CHS commenters have helped figure it out.
So interesting you saw that sign an posted about it. Several months ago I posted about a street art phenomenon based on Space Invaders. There was a photo of one that was right by a Presse sign. I wonder if it was the same one you saw? You can see the post with the photo here: http://www.theblogblog.net/?p=3283
I think that you have the direction of causality backwards. I assume that the owners of Cafe Presse modified and transplanted the French newsagent sign to Seattle to indicate that they sell newspapers and magazines in the cafe and to celebrate their inspiration for the restaurant.
In France the logo is used generically, by newspaper/magazine sellers. Some of those may happen to also be cafes, but most are just little magazine (and maybe tobacco) shops. You’ll see them all over the place.
http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diffuseur_de_presse
Very interesting! That’s not the same location! So it seems that “Cafe Presse” of Paris is a chain of sorts. At the least, it’s got two locations, but possibly more.
Or, as the next two commentors (perhaps more accurately) suggest, it’s a more universal symbol for news vendors?
very helpful, steve and josh! thanks. updated the post.
ps: I never doubted that it originated in France — I was trying to be delicate and not suggest that someone else’s logo was copied for use in Seattle.
…to tell people to try the Salad Verte at Cafe Presse. It’s “just” a green salad, but with Bibb lettuce and a fantastic vinaigrette. Easily my favorite little salad in the world, I am sad if a week goes by without me eating one.
I’ve seen the sign in Bangkok as well. (For a newsstand)
I was surprised to see a “Café Presse” sign at a casino in Las Vegas last weekend. Oddly enough it was at the Venetian, not at Paris.