Gourmet Station Chalkboard and Bathroom Inspire its Guests

"Live every act fully, as if it were your last." -Buddha

​You wouldn't expect a small, hidden cafe on Biscayne and 76th to be a place of lofty idealistic thought. But with its quote-filled chalkboard and bookish bathroom, Gourmet Station inspires its guests.

The wall that divides the kitchen and seating area is a chalkboard replete with quotes from Mahatma Gandhi, Pablo Neruda, Jane Austen, Buddha, St. Augustine, and the Book of Exhortations. The idea came from owner Salvador Castillo's personal love of literature.

"The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong." -Gandhi

​More practically, customers complained of an undivided kitchen and seating area, so the chalkboard solved the problem.

This mural of wisdom has been a hit with diners, who have contributed about ten percent of its quotes -- the remainder comes from Castillo's readings. Countless customers of all ages have complimented the restaurant owner for the idea and have even taken snapshots with their cell phones. The Jane Austen quote "What dreadful hot weather we have! It keeps me in a continual state of inelegance" is a hit with girls, according to Castillo.

Now he plans to erase the current quotes, which cover an eclectic range of themes, and put up ones that deal with spirituality and self-discovery. He will change the theme, which he develops with his sister Marcela, every three months. Something else they plan to pursue in the future: poetic verse.

The bathroom is also popular with customers, who expect a regular "bathroom in the back" and are pleasantly surprised by the wall of pinned-up books. Customers tend not to read the books but rather to note the decor's creativity. Short Order urges bathroom users to gain knowledge while relieving themselves.

Various picturebooks and novels on the Gourmet Station bathroom wall

​Gourmet Station
7601 Biscayne Boulevard, Miami
305-762-7229