That’s a Wrap

The Reel Coffee House, 2506 W Pioneer Pkwy, Dalworthington Gardens. 646-529-0590. 9am-6pm Mon-Fri, 9am-4pm Sat.

The Reel Coffee House in Dalworthington Gardens is exactly the kind of hangout spot I have been waiting for, a coffee house not only with personality but an authentic backstory.

The Reel was co-founded by filmmakers Fatimah Jawad and Arturo Mohammad after Jawad used the space as part of a set for her most recent film, Shift Happens, which will be screened at the Urbanworld Film Festival in New York this month. Muhammad is the writer and director of the 2015 feature film Carter High, based on a true story.

Jawad said she had not always dreamed of owning a coffee shop, but the idea sparked one day when she realized the first thing any crewmember does on a film set is sip some coffee. Mixing cinema and java together seemed a natural combination. She thought it would be funny to call it Grind House but soon realized there was more than one way to interpret the name. She laughed it off and came up with Reel Coffee House.

The space functioned as part of a driving school, so it first had to be adapted. Jawad’s creative team had to learn along the way what equipment and even sinks are necessary for a coffee shop. The opening shifted from May to August. Jawad has added movie memorabilia and continues to enrich the space, hoping customers touch the artifacts and really dive into the Hollywood experience.

The vibe of an artsy movie house is evident, with walls lined with poster spoofs, custom film-themed merch, and even a take-one/leave-one Blockbuster-themed DVD wall.

“So far, over 25 DVD trades have been made,” Jawad said.

Treats on the menu are cinematically fun and delicious. I had the Director’s Cut (20 oz) Pop Fiction dream. There are also Trailer-size drinks (16 oz). Other eye-popping menu items include: There’s Something About Dulce, Mo Better Butterscotch, Mean Girls Matcha, Devil Wears Pistachio, and Caramel Macchiato X. I could not help but try one of the cinnamon rolls, and I give the ooey-chewy factor two thumbs up. Cup tops come filled with a mix of caramel- and cheese-dusted popcorn.

Then there’s the merch station. Moving through a hallway marked “Hollywood,” a small room contains a selfie wall and is lined floor to ceiling with movie posters. There are movie-themed puzzles and even vintage media to explore, and that is before your eyes meet a truly unique treasure: multiple original scripts signed by the cast of blockbuster films like Jaws and Scream.

This place feels like a field trip for movie buffs. Paying homage to the history of film, there is an 8mm projector in the selfie room which actually works. Sampling vintage cartoons was an exceptionally fun experience to follow up perusing the old Hollywood casting book and camera paraphernalia at the merch stand. The “Hollywood” hallway leads to a real screening room with actual movie seats. No matter what time of day, there are screenings here with which to enjoy your java comfortably.

Jawad feels that film is a community, so she has opened up the shop to filmmakers to submit their films for screenings for free. The event will happen once a month. She is also looking to bring in speakers and workshops. The movie posters were shot by actual photographers, and the logo mural on the selfie wall was painted by a local painter.

Like in Shift Happens, life and the experience of opening a coffee shop while battling AI trolls make for a comedy “about what it means to belong, to persist, and to keep moving forward, one road test at a time.”

The Reel Coffee House

Pop Fiction $8

Cinnamon roll  $2

Drinks come w/free small bag of popcorn