The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, March 24, 2006, Page 5, Image 5
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^ Friday, March 24, 2006 _B_ —I 1 B ^ -X_ f J 1 A Page 5
Tim McManus / THE GAMECOCK
. COFFEE WITH A KICK,
Say ‘aloha’ to Bad Ass Coffee, java with Hawaiian flava
Tun Manus
Staff Writer
Columbia’s coffee scene is about
to get a swift kick to the rear end
as Bad Ass Coffee is set to open
its newest franchise on April 7.
Bad Ass Coffee is a Hawaiian
owned chain of coffee shops, each
featuring a unique Hawaiian
themed experience.
^F The shop in Medford, Ore., has
a sculpture of a surfer on a wave,
and the shop in Tuscaloosa, Ala.,
has an overhead “lost jungle” as
well as many tiki masks.
J. Todd Wrenn, the owner of
the local Bad Ass franchise, said
the chain “offers a more unique
atmosphere within the coffee
industry.”
“That’s why I wanted to bring
Bad Ass Coffee to Columbia,” he
said. “Within the store, the interior
walls are painted like sunsets.”
The store will also feature
palm trees, sand, surfboards and a
Hawaiian waterfall. The beverages
will be Hawaiian-themed. “Most
all the coffees have Hawaiian
blends,” he said.
Bad Ass specializes in Kona
coffee, which is native to Hawaii.
Kona was primarily transported
up and down the mountains by
donkeys, or asses.
According to company legend,
locals called these donkeys “bad
ass ones,” and the donkeys could
be heard echoing throughout the
mountains.
“The Bad Ass Coffee Company
named its company in honor of
these hard-working donkeys,” said
Amber Hawkins, publicist for the
coffee chain.
In 2003, there was controversy
before Bad Ass opened its
Tuscaloosa, Ala., store. A
community leader called the
company’s name “shocking,” but
he could do nothing to stop the
store from opening.
Wrenn said he doesn’t anticipate
any controversy over the Columbia
store. He said the only people who
will have a problem are those who
don’t understand the background
of the name company’s name.
Aside from coffee, Bad Ass will
serve espresso, frozen drinks and
blended drinks.
They will also serve breakfast
items such as pastries, bagels and
muffins, as well as sandwiches and
desserts.
Wrenn is particularly enthusiastic
about Bad Ass’ homemade ice
cream.
“We churn all the ice cream in
the store,” he said.
Wrenn plans for the flavors to
change throughout the year and
has an idea for a “flavor of the
week” policy. His favorite flavor
of Bad Ass ice cream is Cinnamon
Walnut.
The Columbia Bass Ass Coffee
shop will have wireless Internet
access, a flat screen TV and
comfortable couches. His store
will be “a good place to hang out
in and taste any coffee you can’t
get anywhere else,” he said. .
Wrenn purchased the rights to
five stores — one in Charleston,
one in Charlotte and two in Myrtle
Beach, in addition to the one in
Columbia. He plans to open them
all within the next three years.
Bad Ass Coffee’s two-day
opening ceremony April 7-8 will
feature hula dancers, free coffee
sampling and a chance, to get your
picture taken with the Bad Ass
Coffee Donkey, which Wrenn said
will be a guy in a donkey suit.
“I don’t know if we’ll have a
live donkey,” he said.
Bad Ass Coffee will be located
on 819 Harden St. in Five Points,
right beside Quiznos.
Comments on this story? E-mail
gamecockfeatures@gwm. sc. edu
‘Vendetta paints grim political picture
Natalie Portman
shines in complex
futuristic thriller
“V for Vendetta”
★★★★ out of ☆☆☆☆☆
IDarjone Riddle
STAFF WRITER
Natalie Portman shines
in “V for Vendetta,”
which packs a political
punch with its down
with-the-government plot
and burning-Parliament
fireworks show.
The film fast-forwards
to 2015 and suggests the
United States is in civil
war while Britain lives by
totalitarian rule.
Britain s aDrasive
government holds
townspeople to early
curfews. Violent police
raid the streets. The local
British Television Network
all but brainwashes its
citizens to unquestionably
follow Chancellor Adam
Sutler’s rule. One 'evening
@l<
51
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Special to THE GAMECOCK
Hugo Weaving strikes an ominous pose as V, the caped
vigilante who threatens the government in "Vendetta."
Evey, played by Portman,
leaves her apartment past
curfew to visit a friend and
is stopped by a rough group
of officers. A masked man
known as V rescues Evey.
He spouts quirkily about
being a vigilante.
V takes Evey to a
nearby rooftop to watch a
fireworks show. Suddenly
at the stroke of midnight,
a government building
blows up with an enormous
fireworks show and music
playing in the street’s
loudspeakers. V amusingly
says, “Remember, remember
the fifth of November.”
The next day at the
British Television Network’s
building where Evey is
employed, V invades the
studio and makes a public
announcement. If people
want to regain control
of their government,
they need to be ready for
takeover one year later on
Nov. 5. In his haste to
evade the authorities and
leave the building, V is
almost shot by an officer.
Evey rescues him but is
knocked unconscious in
the scuffle. Evey wakes up
in V’s underground house.
V tells her it’s not safe for
her to leave since she aided
in his escape.
Eventually Evey is able
to get away and seeks
refuge with her boss,
Deitrich. As a controversial
humoristic talk show host,
Deitrich pushes the wrong
buttons after a comical but
offensive appearance by
Chancellor Sutler. He is
brutally arrested. Evey tries
to escape and is captured.
Evey is put in a cell and
tortured for days. On the
day of her execution, she
is freed. Evey must decide
what she truly believes in
and who she wants to be.
She also must determine
who V is and what he
means to her.
1 he plot successfully and
effortlessly twists and turns
until the ending, which was
slightly disappointing. Part
of the ending is hokey, but
the conclusion fits the film
well. Portman exhibits her
usual gutsy performance.
While it is still very early, if
uenoeuB • 6
Special to THE GAMECOCK
DHEC will take applications for new body art shops today.
Body Rites has been piercing Columbia since 1997.
Five Points piercing shop
hankering to tattoo you
Carolina DeSanctis
THE GAMECOCK
Not surprisingly, Body
Rites is now the most
well known body piercing
studio in the Columbia
area, standing out for its
reputation for upholding
high standards of cleanliness
and customer service.
Originally opened in
August 1997, Body Rites
was first owned by brothers
Scott and Kevin Brewer,
whose vision for the shop is
now maintained and upheld
by its current owners,
Shannon and Franklin
McKenzie, who took over
in 2002. The shop is ran
by two otljer McKenzies;
Sarah, an experienced body
piercer; and Martin, who
runs the front desk.
The interior setup of Body
Rites is artistic and unique,
as the walls are adorned with
industrial metal paneling,
various paintings, drawings
PIERCII1GS • £ 4