This week’s feature is about a place that is probably off most Wake kids’ radars: the Werehouse. From the street, it may look like a hole-in-the-wall, but once you step inside, you’ll find that The Werehouse is anything but.

The Werehouse actually is just one name for a space that serves several different purposes. A former meat packing plant from Winston-Salem’s more industrial days, it now hosts Krankie’s Coffee Bar, an art gallery, a performance area, a recording studio, as well as an artist collective.

Just inside the door, you’ll find Krankie’s Coffee Bar. This classy coffee-and-espresso bar offers all the perks of a Starbucks with none of the corporate pricing or feel. Just sit down and talk with the friendly staff and you’ll immediately begin to see this difference. One of Krankie’s best features is its specials.

On Mondays, they offer a jitter-inducing special of bottomless coffee starting at 5 p.m. Thursdays, it’s half-off all espresso drinks. So go, get your fill of java and enjoy talking with some of the locals. If you’re feeling antisocial, or just want to get some work done, then Krankie’s offers free wifi so you can even attempt to be productive from somewhere other than Benson or ZSR.

Past Krankie’s is the art gallery. It’s mostly art by local artists, so you can soak up some of the finest that Winston has to offer. You won’t get bored if you check out their gallery often, either, because they have a new show up about every two weeks. Much of the art on display is done by the people who live in the artist collective housed in the upstairs portion of the Werehouse. So, not only will you get to see some cool art, you may even get to talk to the artists themselves.

In the performance space, the Werehouse offers some recurring events. Weekly events include Film Night at 8 p.m. on Mondays, yoga from 6-7:30 p.m. on Thursdays and dance lessons on Wednesday nights. Check the website to see if they’re charging an entry fee depending on the week. The Werehouse also plays host to many local and national bands. Cover charge changes depending on the popularity of the band, but it’s always reasonable. Krankie’s also doubles as a real bar, so you can get beer for the concert. On Fridays, PBR cans are only a dollar. Tuesdays and Wednesdays, it’s one dollar off brown bottles and green bottles, respectively.

The Werehouse is definitely one of the coolest places I’ve found in Winston. It has everything a student could want — beer, coffee and a place to hang out. It may not be in the best part of town, but it is definitely worth the trip. A word of warning to Wake students, though: this isn’t the kind of place you wear your Lacoste shirt and croakies to. So come on downtown and hang out at one of the best venues Winston-Salem has to offer.


Hours:
M-W 7 a.m.-10 p.m.
TH-F 7 a.m.-midnight
Sat- 9 a.m.-midnight
Sun- 7 p.m.-midnight