EASTON, Pa. – Jason Hoy and Melanie Hansche admit that “asking for help is very hard,” but the Easton couple is in a tough spot, and they’re turning to their community for support with final tasks related to the opening of their reimagined Aussie cafe and general store.
Tucker, an Australian café and provisions store that’s been on hiatus for nearly three years, is expected to reopen later this fall at 125 Northampton St. in downtown Easton, Hoy said.
Hoy and Hansche debuted Tucker in 2017 at Easton’s Simon Silk Mill before temporarily closing the business in December 2021 in preparation for its move to the larger downtown space.
Tucker’s new location, dubbed Tucker Garage + Grocery, will occupy a roughly 12,000-square-foot space that Hoy and Hansche have spent more than a year renovating.
It will feature a new wine shop, Bavarian beer hall and outdoor beer garden.
In late summer, the couple encountered some hurdles – including burst sewer pipes and a faulty air conditioning system – that led them to launch a crowdfunding campaign aimed at funding necessary equipment, inventory, space improvements and other items.
The goal is to speed up progress and get the project “over the finish line” in exchange for a variety of perks.
“We are a small husband and wife team without fancy backers or deep pockets and who have built most of our businesses by hand with the help of family and friends, a small business loan, and our life savings,” the couple wrote in the campaign description.
“We are almost at the finish line and have built out 95% of the space, but some recent big and unexpected financial hits (looking at you burst city sewer pipes, hello vintage air-conditioning system that died completely at the end of August) mean we’ve severely dented our finances to get the place open. Admitting and asking for help is very hard. We are a resilient and resourceful team; we get things done. But we’re in a tough place. We are appealing to you, our community, to help us push over this last challenging hurdle by becoming a sponsor and helping us hit a $75K crowdfunding goal. Your contributions (with tangible perks for different levels of sponsorship) will directly help us cover the rest of the build out of the space, help us build our initial inventory of groceries, and fund vital kitchen equipment.”
Over the past two weeks, the campaign has raised roughly $39,000 – more than 50% of its crowdfunding goal – with less than a week left in the campaign.
Money raised during the crowdfunding campaign will help the Tucker team reach “tangible milestones,” the couple announced.
In addition to rolling out a new energy-efficient air conditioning unit, the team is seeking help with starting grocery inventory, completing a 4,000-square-foot family- and dog-friendly patio, installing an exhaust hood and other kitchen equipment and adding last-minute improvements such as additional shelving and counter space.
Hoy and Hansche also have a long-held dream of acquiring a European-style rotisserie oven to roast chickens for the grocery store and the patio in the summer.
The couple is hopeful that more community members will pitch in to help in exchange for various perks, which they’ve outlined as follows:
- $50 – ‘Community goodwill’ level’
Maybe you just like the idea of a small business succeeding, and that is reward enough in itself. We’ll make sure we add you to our VIP lists and ensure you get the early heads up on special events and offers before the general public. - $100 – The ‘Warm & Fuzzy’ Level
Maybe you don’t live in Easton. Maybe you are far away but still want to help. Every month, we will send you a photo of Hobart to give you the warm and fuzzies. - $250 – ‘Espresso funding’ level
Your weekly fix of Partner’s espresso or Kusmi Tea for a year. - $500 – ‘Let them eat cake’ level
52 slices of cake per year. Once a week or all in one hit, it’s up to you. It’s open season on desserts, scones, tarts, cakes, slices. Even take entire cakes home for special occasions. There are no rules, only 52 delightfully sweet experiences in your immediate future. - $1,000 – ‘The double dippin’ level
Eating free cake alone can be a happy experience but sharing free cake for a year for you and a friend would be even more joyous. The perfect Christmas stocking stuffer for your favorite partner in dessert eating. Is there a better way to show a small business and a bestie how much you care? We think not! - $2,500 – ‘Dinner for a mixed dozen’ level
An intimate dinner in Kabinett’s ‘Narnia’ dining room for you and 11 friends: four courses, matched wines, you just let us know when. - $5,000 – ‘Personal Patio Party’ level
Invite 50 of your friends to your own Patio Party. Exclusive use of the 4,000-square-foot outdoor patio (or indoor garage space if you choose) for the evening. A generous package including cocktails, beer, wine and canapés for you and fifty of your closest friends. Maybe you see a wedding reception in your near future, maybe you’ve a milestone birthday coming up in the next twelve months. Maybe you just like to throw parties! This is a great way to hold an event and help launch a small business.
“Sponsoring Tucker Garage + Grocery is a sign that you’d like to see this project succeed and be an addition to downtown Easton’s dynamic dining scene, creating more local jobs, and contributing to the community,” the campaign description continues.
“Nearly 650 apartments within ½ a mile are being built near Tucker Garage + Grocery and we aim to serve the existing downtown community and this growing influx of new residents with fresh produce, groceries, and essentials within walking distance between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. every day of the week. We want to open the kind of neighborhood store where folks will pick up last-minute staples and essentials through the week to help them cook dinner, make the kids lunches, or put milk and bread on the breakfast table, or maybe treat themselves to some unique Aussie baked goods, a killer coffee, and a bottle of wine and some cheese to entertain friends at home.”
Kabinett Wine Bar is owned and operated by husband and wife Jason Hoy, an Aussie fine wine professional and Riesling specialist, and Melanie Hansche, a Bavarian native and the deputy editor of Food & Wine magazine.
Tucker’s new spot will operate next to Kabinett Wine Bar, Hoy and Hansche’s full-service restaurant with Aussie and Bavarian roots and a deep global wine list, which opened in December 2022.
It will feature an outdoor beer garden, a roughly 4,000-square-foot patio offering picturesque views of the Delaware River and seating for around 150 guests, Hoy said.
Tucker customers will find cafe favorites such as light and fluffy scones with cream and jam, Lamingtons (Australian sponge cakes coated in chocolate and coconut) and Australian sausage rolls and meat pies.
Tucker offers Australian sausage rolls and meat pies.
“We’re still going to have all of our popular cafe items, without a doubt,” Hoy said.
“There’s no way that we’d take away the things that people used to come to us for. We’re only going to be adding to these items. In fact, we’ve got a new pastry chef. So, we’ll be increasing our amount of pies, cakes and pastries.”
At the general store, Tucker customers will be able to shop essentials such as toilet paper and cleaning products, along with fresh groceries such as fruits and vegetables.
Hoy and Hansche aim to continue the community work they started at Tucker’s original location — at one point Tucker was the second largest supplier of fresh produce to food banks in the city — by creating a community-minded business model, building in opportunities for their guests to pay it forward and support local charitable programs.
The store also will offer premium olive oil and other boutique provisions.
“We’ll have all of the items you’d need to make a great meal at home or you could choose to have a great meal with us,” Hoy said.
In its new iteration, Tucker also will feature a retail wine store, where customers can purchase fine wines from around the world, including several options served at Kabinett.
To-go beer also will be for sale.
Kabinett Wine Bar operates at 125 Northampton St. in downtown Easton.
“Kabinett has won awards for its fine wine list, and we’ll be offering these wines for sale in the store,” Hoy said.
Hoy, an Aussie fine wine professional and Riesling specialist, and Hansche, a Bavarian native and deputy editor of Food & Wine magazine, created Kabinett’s unique dining space – complete with “a glam hunting lodge vibe, a splash of Aussie irreverence, and a touch of Art Deco elegance.”
The establishment aims to democratize premium wines without the typical high markups, and the wine list features selections from Australia, Europe and beyond.
Kabinett is a German term that refers to the location where German winemakers historically kept special bottles for themselves rather than offering them for sale.
At Kabinett, however, the team shuns such selfishness and shares the special bottles with everyone.
Hansche’s Bavarian roots will shine in Tucker’s Bavarian beer hall and beer garden, which will offer popular German dishes such as pretzels, schnitzel, spaetzle and more, Hoy said.
“It’ll sort of be Tucker’s Bavarian twist, with more of a relaxed dining atmosphere than our fine dining restaurant, Kabinett, next door,” Hoy said. “The entire space will have a nice flow to it, including the outdoor beer garden. We’ll be able to host weddings and other large events.”
Tucker’s crowdfunding campaign page can be accessed here.
For the latest Tucker Garage + Grocery updates, including an official opening announcement, follow the business’ Facebook and Instagram pages.
