Historic Irvington

Historic Ervington

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No Lazy Days at Lazy Daze

By: Robert L. Friedly

Photo By: Kevin Friedly

There are no lazy days for Lazy Daze coffeehouse proprietor Jeff Coppinger, a modestly-bearded 32-year-old seen in his blue and white biker head scarf prowling around Johnson St. on the east side of the old Irving Theater, or chatting with customers or whipping up a latte. He’s got too many ideas about what he likes about Irvington and what he wants to happen there.

He’s had the “Daze” open now for more than a year (since late summer 2003). He’s got three part-time employees helping pour the coffee. Folks sprawl on chairs on the wooden deck or sidewalk when the weather permits, reading, drinking, talking in the shade of the awning or trees, some geeking their computers, the place being rigged up for wireless internet. He will be opening an organic and natural foods emporium in January, hopefully across the street because his IUPUI economics class taught him that the same people who buy fancy coffee are attracted to natural foods places.

And, by the way, about 60 percent drink lattes, 40 percent coffee, a figure just the opposite his original expectations.

Jeff believes if he can get just a miniscule portion of the 15,000 cars the little rubber strip across Washington says pass by daily, he can make it go. He’s had a summer’s experience with the new deck behind the establishment drawing loungers, singers, artists, guitar players and poets — who donate their offerings, just for public exposure or for their love of a revitalizing Irvington.

And revitalizing Irvington is a major Coppinger objective. A member of the board of the non-profit Irving Theater Foundation, he has dreams of the Irving Theater becoming a center for visual arts, movies, music and the performing arts. He fantasizes about free movies for the kids on Saturday, and teaching them about the arts. While praising the eating establishments already in Irvington, he hopes the community will one day attract “over-priced, fine dining” with enough visitor business to warrant horse and buggy rides — “the neighborhood is perfect for it,” he says.

The place has an enormous sense of community, and a huge mixture of political and life styles, he enthuses. It is a wonderful family and fun location, and needs to be a place where people go to shop. “In Irvington, you ought to be able to do everything.”

Born in Community East Hospital, learning to swim in Ellenberger Park, graduating from Howe High School (after three years at Arlington), romancing his wife Shelly on the bench at the eighteenth hole of the Pleasant Run Golf Course, Jeff fell in love with Irvington. “I have so many memories of this place, the beautiful winding streets. I like the peace and serenity of the place. Why do we have to drive 30 minutes to Broad Ripple?” Irvington was just screaming coffeehouse.

Jeff and Shelly and their two girls, Alyssa, 12, who attends the Irvington Charter School, and Parris, 3, live northwest of Ellenberger Park, near ninth and Leland. He has had a life outside Irvington — four years in the Navy in New Orleans and some schooling in Tennessee. Coppinger still needs 12 college credits to graduate in political science. He has a fascination with the law, particularly with first amendment rights, and harbors a yearning to go to law school one day. His Navy duty was as a military policeman. He also has toyed with entering law enforcement in Indianapolis.

By the way, there are “no carb” cold drinks and even “no sugar added” lattes at the Daze, which is now open 6:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. most days. But there also are pastries and ice cream sufficient to induce diabetic comas of legendary proportions