About Urban Standard — Archived
Urban Standard operated at 2320 2nd Avenue North in downtown Birmingham's Loft District from November 2007 until June 17, 2020. During its thirteen-year run, it served as the daytime anchor of downtown Birmingham's cafe culture — a contemporary delicatessen and coffee house that specialized in seasonal, high-quality ingredients and professionally prepared espresso drinks in a space that the city's creative and professional community made its own.
Owners Tomasz Wrzesien and Jane Brock built the cafe around the principle that downtown Birmingham deserved a serious daytime dining option that did not require a reservation or a significant expenditure. Urban Standard delivered on that principle consistently: breakfast and lunch with fresh-roasted Primavera coffees, baked goods produced in-house, and an evening programme on weekends that extended the offering into a full dinner service. The eclectic, engaging space in the Loft District attracted a loyal daytime following that made it genuinely essential to the city's working rhythm.
The space closed in June 2020 and was subsequently taken over by Frothy Monkey, the Nashville-based cafe group that has expanded into several Southern markets. The Frothy Monkey operation at the 2320 2nd Ave N address continues the daytime cafe function that Urban Standard established, though under different ownership and branding.
Current Solo Dining in Downtown Birmingham
For solo dining in the Birmingham metropolitan area, Michael's Restaurant in the Parkside district offers the city's best solo dinner experience with Regions Field views. For brunch and daytime occasions, Olexa's in Mountain Brook delivers a refined cafe and brunch programme. See the full Birmingham dining guide for all current listings.