TABLE TALK

Love Lives Here

Tranquilbuzz still has coffee, a block up the road

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Dreams can come true, especially when a community comes together to pitch in and help, as the owner of Tranquilbuzz Coffee Shop in Silver City found out.

When he found out he had six months to leave the historic location at the corner of Yankie and Texas streets, Dale Rucklos thought he would have to close down. But, just a block up the road an opportunity opened up and now Tranquilbuzz has a new home.

“I always wanted to be in this place, blessing in disguise,” Rucklos said of the 300 N. Arizona St. place location, recently Finn’s Gallery.

When Ruklos moved to town in September of 2011, a friend told him Yankie Creek Coffee Shop was looking for a barista. Yankie Creek had been there since 1996. He worked there for a year, at the picturesque corner of Yankee and Texas streets, until the business was sold to two people from Alaska. But he still worked there and eventually when one of the partners sold, he bought out her half. Three years later, the other partner wanted out of the business, and Rucklos managed to pull it together and buy him out as well.

“I opened Tranquilbuzz on April 15 of 2017, 3 ½ years ago,” he said. “This whole thing is really community driven. It’s not about making money, it’s about bringing people together – friends, strangers, travelers, artists, musicians, poets. I love it.”

The new location, open Oct. 3, is truly a community effort.
Friends and community members have come together to help with the monumental task of creating a homey, friendly atmosphere at Tranquilbuzz. Numerous area artists and craftspeople have pitched in, leaving permanent marks around the café. Walls, floors and ceiling are painted by the work of Deborah Hutchings, Mariah Walker, Kelly and Andrew, Karen from Mimbres, Gavio Encasio from Mimbres, Jennifer Teper and more.

“There is a big collective here working together here,” Rucklos said.
And the community has put their money where their mouth is too through the Tranquilbuzz gofundme account organized by a friend, without which he said he never could have brought the dream together. There is still a bit to go to finish the garden area, but the account has brought in $18,000 of the $25,000 needed and Rucklos can’t begin to express how grateful he is.

His gratefulness extends to the town he loves and has made his own. He said he is not interested in competing with the other coffee shops in the area, rather in working together to provide what people want.

“The old paradigm of having a business and being competitive is gone,” Rucklos said. “We all need to take care of each other. I will tell people there are 12 other coffee shops and they are all friends of mine and I want all of them to succeed. I want everybody to succeed. I think that’s what draws people here is the uniqueness of this town and the people and all it has to offer as a place out in the middle of nowhere.”

When the Buzz opens Oct. 3, it will be with the mandated 25 percent occupancy. Future plans for the business include Sunday music, Saturday poetry, book releases, story telling and possibly theater groups in performance.
“We will be open six to six every day,” he said. “We will have an outside deck with a waterfall, coy ponds, stages, lots of seating, a studio gallery with multiple artists displayed.”

Other ideas Ruklos has for the future include offering a covid-safe space for yoga; a woman’s group (Soul Sisters Unite) and a men’s group Men’s Open Heart Club); a lunch time rotation of guest chefs; and meet the artists events.


“Social gathering places used to be bars and I’m glad to see a lot of people are moving away from that,” he said. “Now coffee houses have become your second home this is a sanctuary for people. That’s what I want – new friends, old friends, families together. I can’t even count how many want to come and help.


“So that’s what I want to strive to do, is help each other. The secret too is you are never too old to live your dream. I’m 67. So these three words are the key to the whole place ‘Love Lives Here.’”

Rucklos and the Tranquilbuzz can be contacted on Facebook or by calling 575-654-2057.


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