As the Shadow Lounge and AVA empty out each Friday and Saturday from midnight to 3 a.m., hungry bar hoppers can now satisfy their sweet tooth and have a chance at 15 minutes of fame thanks to
Waffle Shop: A Reality TV Show. Located in the Werner Building at the now bustling corner of Baum Blvd. and S. Highland in East Liberty, Waffle Shop is a class project led by professor
Jon Rubin as part the newly formed Contextual Practice area of study in the School of Art at Carnegie Mellon.
The school provided funding to rent the 700-square-foot storefront for two semesters and a small operating budget to get the class started. Students did all of the renovations, including hand painting and hanging the exterior signs.
In addition to selling waffles, Rubin’s students engage patrons in videotaped discussions, which are then shown in the store window. “We were excited by the location because of its position at the cusp of two neighborhoods and the opportunity to connect with these different communities,” says Abbey McClain, one of 11 students involved in Waffle Shop.
Past projects, grouped together under the name
Tent Show, have ranged from a taco truck to a mitten factory, but this is the first time one will carry over for two semesters.
“One challenge for next semester is to connect more with neighborhood residents by hiring local kids to work at the shop or being open for Sunday brunch,” says Rubin.
The grand opening of Waffle Shop: A Reality TV Show is Dec. 6 from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m.
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Writer:
Lauren UrbschatSource: Jon Rubin, Assistant Professor of Art, Carnegie Mellon University
Abbey McClain, student, Carnegie Mellon University