The Gulu-Gulu Café - FAQ Answers

How do you pronounce the café’s name? “Gula-Gula?”
We realize that it is part of the North Shore’s culture to put an “A” at the end of everything. However… we are NOT Gula-Gula.

Gulu-Gulu Café: Goo (as in goulash or goo-goo ga-ga). Loo (as in Cindy Loo, or the man’s name Lou). Gulu!

What does Gulu-Gulu mean?
Gulu-Gulu means “glug-glug” (the sound you make while drinking) in French. It was the name of a café in Prague where Steve and Marie (the owners) met and fell in love.

Why Salem?
Downtown Salem is a great place going through a significant transition. It has great architecture, is walking distance to the ocean, and is right on the Commuter rail line to downtown Boston. It also sports a great artist community, great restaurants, and some real history. Plus it has witches. Gee, who could resist?

How are you guys doing?
Great thanks! How are you?

Seriously – we are rockin! We have a loyal weekly lunch crowd, a hopping night time music scene, and some great regulars. Keep on coming!

How do I get on the newsletter mailing list?
You can sign up at the door of the café or online at www.gulu-gulu.com/contact.asp.

What are your hours at the Gulu?
Check out www.gulu-gulu.com/location.as p.

Are you going to open another Gulu somewhere else?
Maybe someday...

How old is the furniture? Where did you get it?
We are very proud of our funky, eclectic décor at the Gulu. The couches are brand new, purchased for the café by Steve and Marie. The chairs and tables are a mix of old and new, some gotten from restaurant auctions and some from estate sales.

Are children allowed in the restaurant?
Of course they are! We celebrate everyone, including midget types, here at the Gulu. Just keep in mind that on some nights we have loud music and DJs, and we have spotted people consuming beer and wine. Use your best judgment to decide what is appropriate for your family.

Can I buy gift cards?
Absolutely!

Are you a gay club?
We are an everybody club - all are welcome at the Gulu!

What are your politics?
Coffee, art, love, puppies, good food, beer, and wine. We believe in equality, fairness and happiness for everybody.

Where can I park?
Metered parking is available in front of the cafe for 1 hour at a time. There are tons of parking garages/ lots in downtown Salem as well.

For entertainment at night or dinner, parking is available for free after 5 pm.

Can I rent the café?
It’s been done in the past. Drop us a line at info@gulu-gulu.com.

Can I hold a business meeting at the café?
We are always happy to serve your business needs. Please be respectful of the staff and other patrons by ordering food and drinks and realizing that we can’t turn off the music to accommodate you. You cannot bring your own food or drink into the café.

How about a book club meeting?
Sure thing! We love book clubs! Please call ahead to let us know you’ll be coming so we can be prepared, and remember to order something if you’ll be staying.

Do you have newspapers at the café?
We are happy to provide the Boston Globe for our customers to enjoy while they are here. We usually have a stack of the Boston Phoenix as well.

Do you sell Gulu T-Shirts?
Sure! Check out www.gulu-gulu.com/Merchandise.asp. We are always designing some new styles so be on the lookout! Plus we have mugs!

History of Gulu

Did Marie and Steve really meet at the Gulu-Gulu in Prague?
Yep. They sure did. They had their wedding party there too!

Is your Gulu similar to the old one?
Sorta – the vibe is definitely the same. Like the current Gulu, the old Gulu was a coffee bar during the morning hours and more of a wine bar in the evening. We have done more with the food, music, and arts than the original Gulu did, but overall we have remained loyal to the concept.

What was the Salem Gulu before you opened it?
The Gulu-Gulu Café in Salem was recently a section of the Phoenix School which has moved to a new location in Salem. Back in the mid-1950's it was a Sears. We would like to believe that it was also a pirate’s lair.

Menu & Dining FAQ

Where’s your kitchen?
What you see is what we are. All the food prep is done behind the counter, which means we don’t have a fryer, or an oven.

Why don’t you have dark roasted coffees?
The bottom line is that we are not big fans of dark French roasted coffees…When coffee is roasted dark, the beans get burned, masking the flavor of the actual coffee and producing a bitter tasting roast.

We serve a mild Viennese roast. It is slightly sweet and a tad bit bitter. We love it and we think you will too!

Do you have soy milk?
Yep!

What is ciabatta bread?
This is the basis of our panini sandwiches. Fresh, locally baked thick crust Italian bread. Yummy!

How come you don’t serve bacon and eggs in the morning?
We don’t have a grill, just a panini sandwich maker. Plus, you really can’t beat the great local selection of Breakfast joints in Salem including the Fountain Place, Taste of Thyme or Red's.

How come you run out of my favorite food items from time to time?
We believe in delivering you the freshest possible products. That means that occasionally we run out of popular menu items, even though we try our hardest not to.

Can I buy coffee beans?
Yep! We have packages ready to go.

Why does it take so long to get our food when it is busy?
There are a couple reasons. One is that the staff you see is the staff we have. There are no busy little monkeys downstairs making your sandwich or opposable thumbed sharks doing dishes. The other reason is that our panini grill can make up to 5 sandwiches at a time and our Crepe Grill can only produce 2 crepes at a time. So if you are with a party of 14 and you all order panini at the same time, there’s not a whole lot we can do to make it go faster. Sorry.

Why don’t you serve liquor?
We do have a very large collection of hard to find beers and wines. We also serve a selection of cordials including Becherovka and Slivovitz from Eastern Europe. We even have dessert martinis!

Where is the Budweiser? What’s up with the weird beers?
We do our best to be a little different here at the Gulu, and that means offering you some of the best of what is out there, that’s a little different than what you could find everywhere else. Keep an open mind and try something new. You just might love it.

But what about the vodka? I love my martinis!
Sorry – we like to be viewed as a family-friendly, laid back café. We are not a bar, and at this stage we don’t feel that offering hard liquor would be conductive to keeping this atmosphere. That said we do serve dessert martinis made with cordials.

Do you have draft beer?
Yes we do, and we mix up the selection all the time -we think that keeps things new and exciting.

Should I tip?
Tipping, while not mandatory is pretty customary in the service industry, and is always greatly appreciated. The rule of thumb is 10% of the total bill for good service, 15% for great service, 20% for exceptional service. So if you have a great time, tip your server for his/her hard work. : )

Can I buy loose tea to go?
Absolutely! Loose tea comes in a stainless steel tin for your steeping enjoyment.

Do you cater?
Yes from time to time we do. E-mail us at info@gulu-gulu.com for more info.

Entertainment & Events FAQ

I play guitar. How do I get a gig at the café?
To start the process, email us at bookings@gulu-gulu.com - send us a link to your MySpace page or your personal website. If we like what we hear we'll email you back. Please understand that we don't get to check our email every day.

Otherwise stop by the Wednesday Night Open Mic and perform - it starts at 8PM every Wednesday. Check out www.myspace.com/thegulugulucafeopenmic for more details.

How much do you pay musicians?
We don't have a cover charge and we don't pay the musicians – we are more than happy to buy the band a bite to eat and the 1st round of drinks - we will pass the hat as well.

Can I sell merchandise?
Yep. CDs, T-shirts, ... the works. Go crazy!

What is the room capacity?
We have capacity for 95 or so (80 inside & 15 on the patio).

Do you have a sound system?
Yep, two powered speakers and 2 microphones.

What is the set time/ length/ load-in?
Shows start around 8/8:30 and finish up before midnight. Load in is anytime after 7PM.

How large is your stage?
The performance space is more like a living room - we have a small small stage but it's not wicked big.

Are bands allowed?
Sure. We ask that you be aware of the space that you are performing in. For example some performers have featured drums, but the drums were muffled as to not drive everyone crazy. We would like our neighbors to continue to love us!

What is the best way to promote ourselves in your area?
Local radio (WFNX). Newspapers (The Phoenix, Salem News, Salem Gazette, Salem Insider). Fliers. The Internets. Honestly we are still trying to figure that out ourselves. Word of mouth is always the best - tell all your friends!

Where can I send promo CDs, posters, or other materials?
Gulu-Gulu Café - 247 Essex St, Salem MA. 01970

Do you have an open mic?
Wednesday night is the Gulu Wednesday Night Open Mic (www.myspace.com/thegulugulucafeopenmic)and is hosted by local superstarsJeff Savlon and Brian Donnelly. Sign-up is at 7:30 and the music & mayhem starts at 8PM. Please be aware that the signup sheet fills up very very quickly.

How do I get my artwork shown?
Drop us an email at bookings@gulu-gulu.com with a link to your work. All work is for sale and starting in 2010 shows will rotate every month. Currently we are booked thru 2010 - check out our Featured Artists page to see current and upcoming art. Just a heads up but we tend to shy away from photography, light houses or seagulls. It’s just not a Gulu thing – we hope you understand.

Where is the TV? Why don’t you play the Red Sox games?
Here at the Gulu, we love the Red Sox. In fact, there is usually a fight when the Sox are playing a good game as to who will have the night off to watch it. But our café is for music, and art, and relaxation, and not TV’s. We do show movies on the wall, and are happy to check game scores online for you.

Sometimes I hear jazz at the café, but other times I hear rock or hip-hop. I don’t like rap. Why do you play music like that?
We enjoy diversity in all things at the Gulu, from the art and the food to the music. We do our best at the Gulu to provide everyone with a friendly, laid-back and relaxing atmosphere. Basically we believe that good music is good music - sometimes the music we are playing will be to your liking, other times it probably won’t. Like the weather in New England give it enough time and it will change.

Can I dance?
As long as it doesn’t involve a pole, we’re pretty cool with it.

What is Wi-FI?
Basically it is wireless internet access. With the assistance of your laptop and an internal/ external wireless card you too can access the wonders of the Information Superhighway.

Do I have to buy something if I want to use your Wi-Fi/ come to Open Mic?
Yes. We are happy to provide people with free wi-fi and a cover-free open mic, but as a result we need you to be a respectful customer and buy something. You are enjoying our atmosphere and taking up a table, so please help us keep these services free by being a responsible patron. Please note ordering a free glass of tap water does not count.

Can I play music on my laptop?
If you have headphones feel free.

Do you have a computer I can use?
Nope. But you’re free to bring your own laptop.

Can I take a book from your book shelf?
Absolutely! Just bring it back or put one in its place.

Hiring & Staff FAQ

Are you hiring?
Most people that work at the Gulu end up working for us for a while. That said, from time to time we are hiring. We look for talented people who aren’t afraid to work hard and have fun. Personality is key. Drop us an email with your resume at jobs@gulu-gulu.com. It can also get competitive since we get so many resumes. We’ll keep it on file for 6 months. Please note, because you will be serving liquor if you work at the Gulu you must be at least 18 years old.

What’s up with the pictures of the dogs?
Many cafés around Europe have a mascot and since we are styled after European cafés we felt we needed one too. Jack is a Boston Terrier and is the honorary Gulu-Gulu Café mascot. Our newest doggie Charlie is a pug and currently is wrapping up mascot training. Jack & Charlie's portraits hang proudly at the cafe and its hard not to notice Jack's sputnik sized cranium on the window overlooking Lapin Park. You can drop the boys fan mail at puppyjack@gulu-gulu.com.

Will the puppies respond to my e-mails?
They has some issues typing (lack of fingers will do that), but they will do their absolute best!

Where is Marie? I never see her any more.
Budapest, on a secret agent sock puppet mission. Or working at her “real” job in Boston, doing important AIDS research. (but really, Budapest)

Is XXX (name left out to protect the server’s identity) single?
Nope. (Unless your name is Brad Pitt…)

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