The Clay Cafe

I spent a Friday night here with three other grad students, no sitting fee for us and a nice guitar in the background to serenade us as we painted our stresses away. Parking is limited, there’s a side street right next to the building and pretty low-​traffic. When I arrived (late as usual) the other ladies had already selected their pieces and had started painting.
The man who greeted me asked if I needed a tour or anything explained, and showed me where the trays and paints were kept. It’s a small space so you’re pretty much sitting on someone elses lap when you turn around, but with a cozy/​booze infused sort of feeling (BYOB by the way). I selected a mug with an octopus on it (obviously) and got my colors all ready to go. It’s a good sized mug and ran be $ 22– most everything is a reasonable price and this makes it an EXCELLENT place for making gift for people who appreciate the homemade touch.
Definitely make a note of which colors ones you use if you’re not spatially aware of how much paint is needed to cover the bigger areas of your piece (talk about 50 shades of frustration/​blue). Apparently, they’ll also go over techniques like sponging and painting over lace if you’re interested in taking it up a notch. If you’re like me, it’s all you can do to stay roughly within the lines and that’s okay because the kiln works a little magic itself.
You can also bring your own food and beverages in– I came armed with a pack of Oreos (grad student staple) and another table had a six pack. This is the kind of place to bring those sippy cups shaped like wine glasses and really knock out a bottle of Barefoot or two.
You paint it, then pay for it. They’ll give you a slip and a date to come back and you just show them your receipt and walk out– easy, fun and relatively inexpensive. A great alternative to the bar scene!

I came here tonight with my Young Jewish Professionals Group. So it was mostly all women and that always makes for a fun time when a bunch of women come together to do something they love. I actually came here a bit earlier than them and got a good presentation of all the clay pieces and what designs and patterns you can do with them.
I got to pick out what I thought my group would love to paint so I chose the mid-​sized plates. They also had some spare Jewish passover plates for us to use which was great. Those were taken immediately by our group of 20 women. We painted some fun/​unique designs tonight.
I hope next time I come here I actually use the cloth to paint over because that pattern looked awesome on the passover plates. I know those girls will love taking that unique piece home. It looks like something you would see at an arts festival for over $ 100.
I actually designed my passover plate in Hebrew which is my native language, so it’s unique to me because it’s been years since I’ve been able to write in Hebrew. Even though I think the pattern would have brought out the piece more and been more appealing to take home.
The clay bowls, plates and other dishes are fairly priced. My plate itself was $ 22. The worker’s here are so nice and helpful. I actually heard the owner came out tonight just to make sure our group was doing fine the entire night. That speaks measures to the type of place this is and how they care about the products here. Just as Tamra said, they allowed us to work at our own pace tonight as well and even past the stores closing time.
Just an FYI, I did see a sign saying they are no longer accepting Groupons, so if you purchased one you may want to ask them if it can be honored.
I know I will definitely be returning back to this store soon to make more things for my home.:)

WOW! I would NEVER do business at this place! I had a friend coming in for the weekend and purchased two groupons to clay café. I looked EVERYWHERE and there is not a spot on the groupon that states reservations must be made. I purchased 2 groupons and attempted to call the business the following day to confirm that you did not need an appointment. The first 2 hours the phone rang busy. When I finally got ahold of someone, a lady very harshly answered the phone with «Hello.» No introduction– NOTHING. I asked if it was clay café and she just HUNG UP the phone. I called back and even more impatiently she answered «HELLO» I explained that I had purchased a groupon for my friend coming in that weekend and wanted to confirm that we did not need to make reservations. She chuckled and in a VERY rude tone said «Uh, yes you need reservations and you won’t be getting any this weekend– we are full. You’ll have to figure out another time.» I explained my disappointment because i did not see on groupon where it said requires reservations and in an even ruder tone she said i clearly did not read the fine print. Due to her extremely poor attitude, I told her I would just contact groupon for a refund. She then explained that wasn’t going to happen because groupon has poor customer service and she’s been trying to contact them all day and then said «sooooooo good luck with that one.» and just hung up the phone on me after saying «she didn’t have time for this» THANKFULLY, I contacted groupon immediately after that phone conversation and they issued me a refund on the spot. It honestly was not that big of a deal, i would have kept the groupon and gone some other time (I knew it was probably a REALLY busy weekend– valentines day) but this lady was so RUDE that I could never in a million years justify spending money at her business. I was really disappointed because it looked like such a cute, unique place. Being in the medical field, I really value customer service. I understand having a bad day (been there) but you just don’t treat people like that! This really left a terrible taste in my mouth in regards to my feelings on this business.

I came here with my husband with a Groupon for a date activity. It was so much fun! I would definitely return on adult night when the session fee is waived! The girl that was there was extremely friendly and helpful. She provided lots of advice and suggestions to help make my first painting experience go smoothly. I will definitely be returning!

I came here twice– first time with the groupon on a Sunday afternoon, second time for the adult free paint night. It’s great relaxation and very fun to come with a group of people. They have a good selection of pieces. Both times I went had some clay pieces in common (like the standard mugs plates and bowls). But they also have different things each time to keep it interesting.
The staff is hit and miss I think. The first time I came here, the lady was not very friendly. She acted kinda irritated that she was working on Sunday. When I returned the next Friday to pick up our stuff she was in a better mood. The second time however, it was great! Chay (?) was working there and he was very friendly, very patient and incredibly helpful. He showed us multiple techniques and explained how to do each in great details with lots of examples. He would help you with the painting part too if you get confused.
With its proximity to OSU, it makes it a good place for date night or for girls hangout. It’s as expensive as you make it since you pay for the piece you pick. So it can be affordable or expensive (tonight the cheapest was a small mouse statue for $ 9 and most are $ 12 – 20), making is easy for everyone’s budget.

I did the Groupon thing here yesterday. It was really fun. The staff was very helpful and friendly, especially the owner Julie and the «new guy» who’s name I did not catch.
I did a «sugar skull» that was rather detailed. I took many hours to complete but was never rushed.
On Friday evening I was pleasantly entertained by a folky guitar, think James Taylor type entertainer. The down side is that it is hard to clap with a skull and paint brush in your hand.
In a way it is a twofer as I get the joy of seeing my finished masterpiece this week coming!
Oh, and you can bring your own drinks (they have wine glasses) and snacks.

I finally got around to writing this review. Last winter my friend and her kiddos went to the Clay Café to paint some pottery, it was an excellent experience. The workers were so kind and helpful. They allowed us to work at our pace, and our pieces turned out wonderfully. We will definitely return to Clay Café.

Visited this place on a Saturday afternoon with some gal pals and fell in love instantly. Who doesn’t love a little painting? It was full of kids on a Saturday, though. Which… eh, might be a good or bad thing depending on the kind of person you are. I’m not a big fan of kids so I wasn’t too impressed. Aside from that and the moody staff member that was clearly pissy about something, I really enjoyed this place. They had a wide variety of items to choose from and these items were variably priced. I chose a little cookie jar-​like item and it was pretty cute after all was said and done. This place lets you bring food and snacks, which I would highly recommend because by the time I was done with that jar, I was famished and dehydrated.
The one major drawback, again, is staff. The day we went, there was only one person working (and the place was pretty packed) and she was clearly disinterested in being there. She answered questions and gave her input when asked but I did not see one smile. Not one. She could have really made our experience there special and memorable but she was totally not into that kind of thing. And then when I went to pick up my item, the woman (a different staff member) was completely disinterested in me. She was on the phone when I walked in and stayed on the phone the entire time; even while wrapping up my item and sending me out the door. I’m a huge fan of good service and this place is severely lacking in that. If I could paint and fire up clay in my own home, I would probably avoid this place. But the variety of items, paint and the space will, indeed, bring me back. The staff needs some customer service training, though.
Some tips: Use your SBB (small business beanstalk) card and get 10% off. Additionally, students pay a $ 6.00 fee rather than $ 8.00. You don’t pay until the end, though so you’ll have to remember to tell the staff member about the discounts you want to use. OH– and I think I heard the staff member say that groupons are not accepted on the weekends.

My girlfriend made me buy the Groupon for this place a few weeks back. Of course we waited until the last day the Groupon was valid but we still made it. We went on a Friday afternoon after work (around 5:30) and had no problem finding a table to paint. Once you arrive you have to decide what piece of pottery you want to paint. Then once you have picked your piece the staff there will show you how to pick out colors and different techniques for painting. Once you finishing painting you had off your item to the staff and clean up your brushes and paint trays and are given a day to come back to retrieve your item.
The only downside is the parking lot only holds about 5 cars and was full when I showed up so I had to drive around and find parking on the street. Besides that it was a great experience. When I went to go pick up the pottery the girl working remember my face and what items I painted and helped me find them on the rack. This is a great place if you are looking for a new idea for a date night.

On the prowl for more crafty and «homemade» holiday gifts, I stumbled upon the Clay Café, located right next to the Grandview Café (they in fact share a valet parking lot). It’s something you will never notice or find unless you’re looking for it.
I will admit, this place seemed a bit more kid-​oriented than it did adult-​oriented, although I was able to make it work. When you walk in, you feel like you are teleporting back in time to your kindergarten arts & crafts room. It’s so colorful inside, you may even need sunglasses! Okay, so I may be exaggerating, but you can get the picture: shelves of paint bottles, an array of already-​painted pottery, painting technique books, and a series of tables with remnants of previous pottery projects splattered about.
Upon arrival, you are immediately opening your wallet and shelling out $ 8 ($ 4 for children) simply to use the paint and other tools that are at your dispense. Then, you have to pick the piece you want to paint. There is a large collection of white pottery pieces that are literally blank canvases that you can let your imagination run wild on.
A lot of the pieces, like I said, are geared toward kids:(animal figurines, for instance). But there certainly are plenty of items you can snatch up for most anyone: bowls, coffee mugs, wine glasses, salt & pepper shakers, ornaments, vases, and even soap dispensers.
Once you finally pick out what you want as your canvas, you grab the paints and tools and have at it! The woman working there was very helpful with all of the questions I had regarding the colors and how they would turn out after the paint was dried and baked, different methods and tricks to painting, and ideas on what exactly to do.
On top of the $ 8 mandatory fee, the cost is then based on whatever piece you painted. There was an enormous bowl that would have cost $ 40, but there were items as low as $ 8 too. I painted a dish that was $ 14. So, really, it’s as cheap or expensive as you like it to be!
I don’t recommend getting a large item right off the bat unless you’re a seasoned painter, because if you mess up, there’s only so much you can do to fix it.
I do think the prices are a bit steep, and the concept is, like I said, much more for kids (or women). But it is definitely fun and different, which is what I am all about!

A trip to the Clay Café has become a holiday tradition for me. The staff is helpful in explaining techniques to make your piece look great and easy to create. My favorite part about the Clay Café is the selection of unique pieces. I also like it’s small and cheery atmosphere. The only downside to this is when parents can’t control their screaming children. A definite risk you run into around the holidays. Carla D. does a great job explaining how the process works. Even with the busy season, my creations have always been ready to pick up in a week. This is a great place to relax, get creative and make an one of a kind gift.

Speaking with Nancy Kanter, one of the two owners of Clay Café, she relayed to me that many people who stop in say they’ve lived in Grandview their whole lives and never knew this establishment existed. Twelve years ago Nancy Kanter and Julie Byrn started up the Clay Café after seeing an inspiration in California. Clay Café is, as their flyers read, «An open studio where you can design and create your own pottery and personalized ceramic giftware.»
How it works is you, first, choose one of the vast array of bisque fired ceramics sitting on the shelves waiting to be decorated by glazing. Next, come up with an idea for what you want it to look like and draw it on the ceramic piece. Then, decorate it how you like. You can be plain or go as wild as you want. Don’t be shy; there’s possibly as many different colors to choose from as there are ceramics! And of course, you do the work sitting at one of the many tables in the studio. Lastly, they will fire it for you. Give a few days for them to finish firing (there are many others before yours) and return to pick it up. The ceramic pieces that you create can be for your own pleasure, but they also make great gifts, including for bridal showers.
I would say the place itself could stir up ideas for your design; although, you may not think it when you first see the building. Tucked away behind Gibby’s restaurant on 3^rd Avenue in Grandview, Clay Café is located in a dull, grayish brick building. Yet, inside the walls are painted in bright, cheery colors like Caribbean teal and spring yellow. Throughout the studio are eclectic pieces of furniture and wall décor, colorful examples of finished pieces, as well as vibrant floral arrangements.
Clay Café is open to people of all ages and even groups. You are allowed to bring food into the studio, so it is possible to have your child’s next birthday party there, or perhaps a girls’ night out. Walk-​ins are permitted, but if you have a group or even a party in mind, reserve ahead of time. Stay as long as you want in the studio. Even if you think you’re staying there really long, fear not, there others who arrive when the studio opens and are still there when it closes. However, do understand there is a cost. The cost is $ 6.00 an hour for working in their studio as well as the bisque fired piece (before you glaze it) and the prices are marked on the piece itself at varying costs.
All in all, the whole point of Clay Café is summed up on their front window: enjoy, create, relax. I would also attach «have fun» to that list!

For all those who used to create clay masterpieces in first grade I have the place for you! I have recently discovered the Clay Café in Grandview and it is amazing! I could stay there for hours just playing around in the mud and creating what I’d like to think are brilliant works of art.
I also like the fact that they host Girls Night Out events and birthday parties for kids (as well as adults). For those looking to break the standard dinner-​and-​a-​movie date night, give this place some serious consideration. You will be sure to earn points for originality and uniqueness and who couldn’t use those. :)
Verdict: Affordable. Fun. Unique.