Nautical Bean opens new location in collaboration with The Bunker in SLO 

From the '70s and '80s pop culture-themed lunch boxes and skateboards that populate the walls to the retro couches and wooden tables, Nautical Bean coffee shops create a certain ambiance.

Whether it's the Parker Street or the Los Osos Valley Road location, Nautical Bean strives to provide an enjoyable atmosphere for anyone in their communities to kick back in, something owner Brett Jones has always maintained as his goal.

click to enlarge

• Photo Courtesy Of Missy Reitner-Cameron
• BUILDING THE BUNKER The Bunker on Orcutt Road in SLO has served as a long-term haven for artists, and with the new renovations it will also serve as a focal point for community art appreciation and coffee.

"It's a pop culture explosion," he said with a laugh. "We have always done things our own way, and it benefited us over the years."

So when the opportunity came to build a community-oriented coffee shop and gallery at the iconic Bunker art space on Orcutt Road in San Luis Obispo, The Bunker's owner, Missy Reitner-Cameron, immediately reached out to Jones to be a part of the new location. The Bunker plans to open up its coffee services in late winter with the goal of being an art-focused community gathering space for the expanding Broad Street area.

Reitner-Cameron originally became connected to The Bunker when she rented the location 10 years ago while it served as a closed gathering space for artists. In 2018 she fully purchased the property and set out to renovate the space and open it to the public for both art and community gatherings.

"Having arts involved in whatever I do has always been part of my passions," she said.

The idea to renovate the space was mainly motivated by the needs Reitner-Cameron saw in the nearby Broad Street community—something she and Jones experienced firsthand as members of the neighborhood.

"I wanted to rethink what exactly The Bunker is, especially in regards to serving a growing community and how we can provide those services that this area lacks, one of those being a coffee shop," she said.

Jones said he feels that adding this new Nautical Bean location will not only provide for those community needs but combine them with an appreciation for the arts in San Luis Obispo as a whole.

click to enlarge

• Photo Courtesy Of Missy Reitner-Cameron
• UNDER CONSTRUCTION As the interior of The Bunker's building is redone, the focus is to provide an open space where patrons can enjoy Nautical Bean's coffee while viewing different art from inside and outside the community.

"We call it the 'Low Bro' (lower Broad Street); everyone who has been here knows about this sense of community we have," Jones said. "With this new location we can expand that experience to not just everyone in the community, but those coming to visit."

Jones is no stranger to embracing the local communities where Nautical Bean cafes set up shop. The Parker Street neighborhood is a place Jones considers a large contributing factor to building up a sense of community in that part of SLO for both locals and college students.

"The Parker Street community really embraced our style and coffee, and with this new location [near Broad] our hope is that we do the same," Jones said.

The Bunker will largely be focused on the gallery aspect with the Nautical Bean only taking up a small part of the overall structure. But even in its corner, Jones will be able to decorate the space with his own pop culture stylings alongside local art. The space will also allow Jones to serve an entire gallery in addition to the small coffee shop space, something he said he wants to fully take advantage of to spread his unique brand of caffeinated cheer.

"Having upwards of 40 seats in addition to all the space we will have within the gallery itself plus the outdoor area is something I am very excited about," he said, "to be able to enjoy not just Nautical Bean's coffee in our own little space but enjoy it in the wonderful SLO weather alongside art."

With art being the primary focus of the revitalized Bunker project, Reitner-Cameron also wants to use the space as a means to bring outside art into the San Luis Obispo community.

click to enlarge

• Photo Courtesy Of Missy Reitner-Cameron
• FUN IN THE SUN The outdoor area of The Bunker will also serve as a gathering place for events, with picnic tables providing seating for coffee and art enjoyers.

"The local art here is so wonderful, and given the history The Bunker has in supporting that art, [local artists] are absolutely the first on my list to bring into the renovated location," she said. "As the project grows I would love to bring in outside art side by side to blend the styles together."

Ultimately both Reitner-Cameron and Jones view The Bunker collaboration as a way to bring the local community forward. By combining two creative SLO establishments, they see the potential to bring the community together into the future.

"Everyone needs their coffee first," Reitner-Cameron said with a laugh, "that's our priority in getting this done. Once we have that, everything else will follow naturally."

Freelancer Adrian Vincent Rosas is sipping on a mint chip mocha from Nautical Bean. Reach him through the editor at [email protected].