SO HERE’S THE DEAL. Menomonie’s Raw Deal, 603 S. Broadway, has unveiled some changes in recent months, including a new low-rise stage in the front window and a modified menu.

The anthropology of a community space: embraced subtleties and their thoughtfulness can go unnoticed when you are the incredibly comfortable person, slinking into a plush chair with a hot cup of joe.

One year ago, the Raw Deal family began implementing soft communal nuances into their space. It’s a sensitivity that is reflected in their menu and shows in their environment. While remaining aware of the community’s needs, the Raw Deal is making gentle nudges into change so their establishment can continue to make a contribution.

Using wood reclaimed from demolished Eau Claire buildings, Raw Deal installed a low-rise stage in their storefront window at 603 S. Broadway, Menomonie. Daily, it’s a raised reading nook with chairs and a coffee table for the reader who wants a cat-seat in the sun. The stage has an inviting feel to it, as if people passing through, guitar in hand, just might take the stage. I was there on a Sunday morn at 10am and a rugged man took the stage, played country and blues songs about California and interpersonal relations, with friendly conversation between each tune; a very living-room-in-an-artist-loft kind of feel. Morgan Fedderly, marketing manager and co-owner, explains, “We have welcomed various genres into Raw Deal over the years-from folk, to punk, to storytellers, and beyond, and will continue to embrace the varied acts and talent of our local artists as we utilize the new stage.” Upcoming events include live music, cloth diapering 101, Valentine’s creations, and a charity event/launch party for the Stacked Girls Club Calendar.

The organic vegan nosh is a healthy gift to this college town. Every menu item can help put your body at ease. Fedderly defines the recent fine tuning of their menu: “Simplification was the main goal, so we tweaked and streamlined our menus, further highlighted precision in our coffee roasting, and are proud to join the impressive ranks of our local brewing community with our own signature Real Deal craft beer line-ups, complete with an Organic Pale Ale.”

Helping to encourage the exchange of opinions about events, food, and community are two new “Community Tables,” farm tables that stand tall like a high-top bar table would. The warmth of the wood and the heaviness of the stools are a remarkable aesthetic addition, a vessel for creativity and the exchange of ideas. “Our new Community Tables are all hand-made from salvaged and re-purposed telephone poles. Just another way we intend to ‘keep the conversations flowing,’ ” Fedderly cheekily adds.

Partaking in the Raw Deal’s coffee, food, beer, or music will undoubtedly make you feel like you’ve done something good for yourself and your community by supporting such an establishment.

As they say at the Raw Deal: Roast. Eat. Toast.

The Raw Deal • 603 S. Broadway, Menomonie • Mon.-Sat. 6:30am-8pm, Sunday 9am-6pm • www.rawdeal-wi.com • (715) 231-3255