Words and Photos by Stuart Hudson

Small work environments are crucibles—spaceships, deep sea submersibles, and Gold Dome Coffee, the drive-through coffee shack in the parking lot of Penn and NW 36th Street’s northwest corner (the former Leaf + Bean location). At roughly 180 square feet, the shack harbors two to three humans, a hand-me-down espresso machine and accompanying coffee-making apparatus, cups, lids, glitter forks, refrigerator, ice maker, wash stations, drying racks, a register, and the ephemera that seems to follow those who choose to work in such spaces. Cramped prehistoric French caves harbor early man’s artistic hand, representations of himself and his tribe. The interior walls of Gold Dome Coffee are peppered with scribbled-upon scraps of paper (order reminders and quotes from famed writer and poet Kahlil Gibran’s masterwork *The Prophet*), drawings, t-shirts, stickers, and

small gifts from customers. This graffiti indicates owners and partners Julie and Scotty Sullivan are building something of depth under nine bars of pressure. It comes in three forms: culinary, emotional, and cultural.

First, their drink roster is a mix of quality and depth. Gold Dome has sourced its beans from Tulsa roaster Topeca and created a regularly evolving roster of new specials since 2023. The retirement of a special from the standing menu, however, doesn’t erase it from customers’ habits or staff memory. Patrons pull up to the shack, Julie slides the window open and an order is delivered from vehicle to shack, often without reference to a menu. If a customer is unsure of what they want, Scotty might ask, “Sweet, savory, or spicy?!” Unusual names, such as Love Cake and Garden Party, represent Scotty’s well-received foray into drink development (his background is in the skate industry, mobile robot dinosaur circus management, and the cannabis business). It’s the odd restaurant where the secret menu is deeper than the official. A patron is rewarded for their loyalty by the ability to swap code words in exchange for a caffeine bump.

Second, the emotional depth of the relationships between Gold Dome Coffee staff and their regulars is striking. Hugs are given (Scotty will lean halfway out the window, feet suspended three feet in the air, the window frame a fulcrum), dogs are petted, and nicknames are shouted. There is a significant amount of vulnerability passing from shack to car and back. On difficult days, customers will recount hardship and openly shed tears. Julie (with a professional background in yoga, social and emotional learning, and mindfulness training) will listen, acknowledge the distress, and administer comfort where appropriate. This level of care is rewarded with smiles, mutual affirmations of “We love you!,” and gifts from patrons to staff. Found items, art, stickers, and similar tokens are kept on the walls by the register and cherished. “This is a home for weirdos,” Scotty affirms, “It’s the epitome of ‘mom & pop.’” Julie follows, “It’s probably confusing that our gift cards are signed ‘From Dad.’”

Third, the space is replete with art and cultural references. In the skate industry, like most cohorts where punks and weirdos abound, stickers and drawings that reference past, present, and future are part and parcel of the cultural currency. Further, both Scotty and Julie are interested in architecture and the effect that structural design has in creating resilient spaces. The combination results in t-shirts hanging from the ceiling which reads “Welcome to the Thunderdome” with a picture of our city’s golden testament to R. Buckminster Fuller nestled in between the 1980s pop culture nod or a bumper sticker which reads “Don’t First Christian our Gold Dome,” a tip of the hat to the long-anticipated but near-clandestine 2022 destruction of OKC’s architecturally and culturally significant First Christian Church at 36th & N Walker. The Sullivans see the value of places and design that not only mark personal and civic history, but create identity worthy of preservation.

Many other cramped culinary spaces can develop a fevered following. A similar vibe can be felt in places like the James Beard Award-winning Al’s Breakfast, whose 14 seats inhabit a former alleyway in Minneapolis’ Dinkytown. Intimacy follows from proximity. The crucible forces its participants to refine and understand their mission. For Gold Dome Coffee, visitors are imbued with the love, care, and caffeine its mission requires.

Gold Dome Coffee, 2901 NW 36th St, Oklahoma City, OK, golddomefinepottery.com, @golddome.coffeestop