Caffè d’Amore Celebrates One Year in new Location
Last year Caffè d’Amore’s owner, Sarah Walsh, had a choice, either close the shop indefinitely or find a place to move quickly. Though it was a tough decision and a quick turn-around, the shop moved just down the street to a new and bigger location. This unexpected move actually became a great opportunity for them to restart and re-evaluate what was working with the shop, what wasn’t, and how to continue to make this place a community hub.
The café felt like they were just regaining their footing from covid when the new building owners informed them they had signed a new lease. They connected with Lawrenceville Corporation and landlords in the area and miraculously found a spot just doors down from their original location. The shop was only closed for 5 days because Sarah wanted to make sure her staff still had work. Since then the café has been able to focus on new things that they had wanted to do, but had not been able to previously because of the size of their old space.
They now bake some of their own baked goods in their oven, with the new larger walk-in they can produce bigger batches of some of their customer favorites, all the while still supporting other local bakers and purveyors. When they reopened the dream was to “become Upper Lawrenceville’s pop-in café and be a place where everyone feels seen,” and they feel like they have accomplished that.
Caffè d’Amore is a space where people from all walks of life can come in, grab a cup of coffee, and truly be a place where all people can gather. Sarah says, “Those are the kind of things that keep me going, those that you can’t put on a spreadsheet.” Their new shop and seating configuration is still a work in progress, but everyday is a reminder of “the kind of community space it can be. It feels like a renewal of the shop and makes it feel more alive.”
Not only do they serve delicious coffee and food, but they also have the goal of becoming zero waste, using the company the “Zero Waste Wrangler.” Their store is a drop-off location where other people can sign up for the service as well and drop their compost there. Caffè d’Amore is not only invested in the neighborhood, but also leading on how businesses can operate in ways that gives the earth more time to heal.
If you haven’t been up to Upper Lawrenceville recently, there is a playful vibe up there where you can go and “take yourself on a date.” Go to Caffè d’Amore or Lolev, Long Play Cafe, Storehouse Neutrals, and then pick up some special treats for your furry friend from Lawrenceville Pet Supply. Caffè d’Amore will be there as an open, welcoming space, where you can gather, hopefully soon on a patio, and it will remain an anchor in the neighborhood. As they say “Caring about our coffee, our community, and our environment is the cornerstone of our business, and we look forward to sharing our love with you.”
