Linnaea’s Café in San Luis Obispo Changes Ownership
This article shares the history and evolution of San Luis Obispo’s first café, Linnaea’s Café, which has recently undergone an ownership change. Writer Natalya Suttmiller explores the café’s reputation for being a safe space and a community hub.
By Natalya Suttmiller
Photography by Travis Farrell and Natalya Suttmiller
In this modern era, San Luis Obispo is dotted with dozens of coffee shops, all offering their own style and sense of place. But in the early 1980s, no such café existed. That is until 1984, during a time of cultural transformation in the city, when Linnaea’s Cafe emerged as the county’s first ever coffee shop. Inspired by European streetside cafés and a longing for communal space, Linnaea Phillips, a librarian turned visionary, sparked the café’s legacy at age 50.
“Coming back from Europe, I sat on these beautiful little chairs and thought, ‘Why can’t we do that?’ I could do that,” Linnaea says, reminiscing about the eatery’s genesis. She transformed what was then Norwood’s Bookstore on Monterey Street into an innovative, alcohol-free social hub, selling chairs for gatherings after store hours and brewing coffee.
There was one question she was constantly asked: How are you going to make any money? But it was her love for her community and inventive nature — not the money — that drove her to carry out her vision. Despite doubts about the financial aspect from peers, Linnaea’s community support took the café from the bookstore space to its permanent Garden Street location.
It became a place of acceptance, especially in a less progressive era, where Linnaea’s warmth countered the atmosphere of the time. She still remembers one of the first phone calls she received at the café. The caller implied that he was gay and wanted to know if there was a safe place for him. Linnaea’s was that refuge.
Linnaea’s Cafe wasn’t just about coffee; it cultivated a space where friendships formed, art flourished and conversations flowed freely. Its history still resonates deeply, evidenced by evolving symbols like the pride flag that hangs above the coffee bar these days. Linnaea’s humble approach to coffee and food, often rotating in chefs and traveling musicians, shaped an eclectic scene. Her passion for gardening sparked the transformation of a former trash heap into a flourishing back patio garden. Gathering the community for a lively event, she orchestrated a brick donation party where names were etched into the bricks that now form the patio floor. She was known by many for her remarkable ability to unite people.
Then after 25 years of running the café, when Linnaea wanted to travel to India, she sold it to manager Marianne Orme, who carried on the artistic flair and made delicious cakes and a rotating menu of food that included vegan and gluten-free options. The establishment’s backroom walls became a monthly art gallery for local talent.
Now, after renovation, the business continues to thrive through the passions of its new owners, Rusty and Alex Quirk, who took it over in early 2023.
Rusty, a Michelin Guide-recognized pastry chef, reminisces about her first time at the coffee shop. “When I was at school at Cal Poly, I often felt like an outsider, but Linnaea’s was a place where I could find things that interested me. … It felt like I was part of the broader San Luis Obispo community, rather than just the university.” For Alex, a local musician and event producer, the café was a secret spot, the stage for his first piano performance and espresso sip.
Inspired by its historical essence — community, art and wholesome food, plus treats — the duo/couple is taking Linnaea’s Cafe into a new era. Resolute to honor its past, Rusty and Alex endeavor to continue the eatery’s legacy as a haven for thoughtful conversations and artistic expressions. “In modern days, it feels like coffee shops want to get people in and out,” says Rusty, to which Alex adds, “We hope [Linnaea’s] is a home for discussion, learning and enjoyment. We hope it’s a place that inspires new ideas and develops old ones.”
Reviving the vibrant evenings that once defined the café pre-pandemic, the Quirks have reopened the space for events, from jazz and funk concerts to experimental electronic music and punk. There’s more than just music at Linnaea’s, though; book clubs convene in cozy corners, and the Italian Speaking Group adds a dash of linguistic flavor every Saturday. Rusty and Alex aspire to broaden the spectrum further with academic talks, spiritual discussion, and even colorful drag shows — every idea a potential addition to this ever-evolving community. “Some of the events we are most proud of are Poetry Night, led by one of our baristas AJ, and Open Mic Night, led by our friend Zen, and Ted Waterhouse’s Big Variety Night, which features local folk singers and songwriters.”
Owning Linnaea’s Cafe has enriched the lives of Rusty and Alex immeasurably, they say. Amidst the daily bustle that keeps them more than busy, they relish the sun-kissed patio and spontaneous moments —impromptu garden concerts and serving lattes to both familiar guests and new faces. Through these serendipitous encounters, they facilitate the purpose of Linnaea’s — to be a space where life blossoms.
“We have a wonderfully diverse, multi-generational community … The café has lent its space to all different groups and individuals over its 40-year history, many of whom still visit the café regularly or stop by as they are passing through town,” says Rusty and Alex.
With its rich history, the café stands as a testament to one woman’s dream to nurture a place for all. Linnaea’s Cafe remains a living room for SLO’s soul — an ode to Linnaea Phillips and the enduring power of community.
