When Folger Shakespeare Library reopens on June 21 after a series of renovations, it will have a new cafe in the Great Hall. In this case, the question is not “to be, or not to be,” but rather, what will the cafe be named? To answer that question, the Folger opened submissions for possible monikers. After receiving more than 1,750 entries, the list has been narrowed down to five finalists. The public can now vote online for their favorite name until 11:59 PM on Tuesday, February 20.
The majority of the finalists look outside Shakespeare’s words for inspiration. In fact, only one of the names is a direct reference to the Bard’s works: “Peaseblossom,” the mischievous fairy from A Midsummer Night’s Dream. “Gooseberry,” another option, is mainly a reference to the popular fruit from Shakespeare’s time period, but the item does get a brief mention in Henry IV, Part 2.
The cafe could also potentially go by “Hathaway’s,” an homage to an important figure in Shakespeare’s life, his wife Anne Hathaway. (No, not the Princess of Genovia.) The final two monikers are a general nod to the literary nature of the building: “Prologue” and “Quill & Crumble.”
As for the rejected names? Folger shared with Washingtonian some of the submissions. Alas, you will not be able to grab a cup of coffee at “Mugbeth, “Taming of the Brew,” or “To Tea or Not to Tea.” And perhaps it is for the best that “As You Lick It” is also out of the running.
Voting is now open on the Folger website.
Daniella Byck joined Washingtonian in 2022. She was previously with Outside Magazine and lives in Northeast DC.
