Since opening on Alexander Street in 2005, Boulder Coffee Co. has become a neighborhood fixture in the South Wedge. Now, with not one but two new locations set to open in the next year, Boulder's looking to expand its brand as a local caffeinated powerhouse.

For months rumors have been swirling about what was going on at Java Joe's in the Public Market. Last week the answers materialized: Boulder owner Lyjha Wilton has officially bought the business, and as soon as the sign can be completed, it will be renamed Boulder Coffee Co. at the Market.

Wilton says that Boulder has been running the shop since mid-February, but now that the transfer is official some changes are in store. Wilton is looking to make some improvements to the physical structure, and patrons can expect some rearranging of the floor to incorporate Boulder's typical "counter culture," where everything is made right in front of the customer. Additionally, Wilton plans on bringing Boulder's focus on local art and music to bear by incorporating local artwork, building a stage, and getting an entertainment license for live bands.

Boulder employee Jeana Bonacci is co-manager of the new location, and tells City that initially it will only be open Saturdays, but there are plans to expand to all Market days (Tuesdays and Thursdays), and then possibly daily.

But not everything will change. Along with the business, Wilton bought the coffee-bean roasting machinery, and he says that he'll be using the exact same process, beans, and roaster that Java Joe fans have come to love. In fact, the Java Joe name will still grace one of the bean lines he's producing, a lighter variation than the darker, stronger Boulder Roast that's also being fired up.

Wilton says the roasting operation allows Boulder to become its own bean supplier, and that its new roasts will replace the Finger Lakes Coffee Roasters beans he has been using at the original Boulder. "Just from a price standpoint, it's great," he says. "But it also allows us the opportunity to go out and market the product to other people and businesses."

In addition to the new Market location, Wilton has been working with the 19th Ward Community Association to open a coffeehouse that the Sector 4 CDC has been pushing to launch in that neighborhood. Wilton says that he's in the process of purchasing a building at the corner of Brooks and Genesee streets, and he's planning to open a new Boulder there in the fall.

That'll mean going from one to three locations in under a year. Wilton says that wasn't initially the plan. "I had already told myself that it was a busy year," he says, "and I wasn't going to take on any new opportunities. But [the Market store] presented itself and I just stepped up to the plate."

And that's enough growth - for now, at least. "Boulder was very well received almost immediately," he says. "We started out with the idea of just being a neighborhood coffee shop focusing on local music and local art, a kind of living room for the neighborhood. From where we started to where we are, it's extremely exciting. We're going to try to get this year under our belt, keep the quality that people expect us to provide. This year, that's enough to chew on. But it's onward and upward after that."

Creamery leaves Corn Hill

The Corn Hill Landing is about to taste a little less sweet: Corn Hill Creamery owner Mark Holbrook has announced that his ice cream shop will not reopen after its winter hiatus, and instead will relocate to Fairport.

Holbrook cites high rents and a shortage of parking as two main reasons for leaving the relatively new development. (Fellow Landing tenant Rich Port Bakery is also reportedly looking to leave the premises.) Holbrook says he'll miss the Corn Hill crowd terribly.

"That neighborhood defines community," he says. "They have been supportive, and the neighbors have been fabulous. You get to know people by name, and that part is really difficult [when leaving]."

But Holbrook is excited about his new Fairport location, which, despite the change in address, will still keep the Corn Hill Creamery name. The new store will be located at 145 North Main Street in the village, and he hopes to open in May. He says that the larger facility will allow for increased ice cream production, which will in turn allow him to expand his restaurant supply business. Corn Hill Creamery is currently served at Triphammer Grill, The Ravioli Shop in Perinton, and Oak Hill Country Club, and Holbrook says that he's been approached by other interested clients that, currently he can't currently accommodate. He's also looking to expand his line of ice cream cakes, and plans to start offering gelato (a trendy Italian ice cream variation with a lower milk-fat content).

In other Creamery news, the business just took home a blue ribbon at the National Ice Cream Retailers Association show in Antonio, Texas, for its coconut almond crunch.