Up to this point in the Coffee Crawl we have, for the most part, visited privately owned and operated shops, reserving the coffee chains/franchises for when we've exhausted all the others. This past Thursday we made an exception with our Crawl to the News Cafe on the Boardwalk in Summerstrand. Crawler Margaret Zoetmulder requested that we visit the shop since her daughter-in-law, Sandy, owns the franchise here in PE. This particular News Cafe is not just the only one in PE, it is actually the only one in the entire Eastern Cape. So, Thursday's Crawlers, Fran and Mandy de Beer, June Nash, Gail Darne, Margaret Zoetmulder, Beth Vieira, Colleen LeRoux, and Stella and Beryl Dawson, all made their way to the beachfront to enjoy some coffee and conversation.
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| Meet the Owner Sandy Zoetmulder |
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| Meet our Hostess/Waitress Christy |
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| This Week's Crawlers Margaret, Beryl, Colleen, Stella, June, Gail, Fran, Beth, Mandy |
The News Cafe is situated within view of the casino and directly across the walkway from Leonardo's Pizza and Pasta Workshop (excellent pizza served here by the way!) on the Boardwalk. The Crawlers arrived shortly after the shop opened on Thursdsay morning. Our hostess/waitress, Christy, seated us in a comfortable corner area of the spacious restaurant and presented us with menus that look and read like a daily newspaper. After ordering our Danesi brand coffees, which would quickly and expertly be made by baristas Denzel and Howard, we all settled back to check out the menu that includes breakfasts (served all day), lunches (salads/burgers), full dinners/platters, snacks and desserts. With the shop being open from 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 a.m. daily (including Christmas, New Years Day, all holidays) there's plenty of time and lots of opportunity to enjoy all that the News Cafe menu has to offer. (A note to Jeff, Liz, and Chris L.-- we have to remember this the next time we come into PE on the late flight, starving, and can't find a place to eat!!!)
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| Meet the Baristas Denzel and Howard |
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| Before 10:00 a.m. |
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| After 10:00 a.m. |
The News Cafe accommodates about 220 people with seating inside (for those blustery days that PE frequently experiences) and outside (if you'd like to enjoy the beautiful spring flowers just popping up in the beds around the Boardwalk). The shop is available to book for special events and functions. Just call Sandy and she'll get you all sorted.
Now, as most PE residents know, there has been for quite a while, major construction work at the Boardwalk on the new Convention Centre. The Centre is scheduled to open in December and should provide a significant financial boon to the Nelson Mandela Bay area. This new addition to the PE skyline along with the impending new addition to the Nash/de Beer families dominated the conversation at the table on Thursday. In celebration of both I ordered an Irish coffee for my second round. No one elso was up for whiskey at 10:00 a.m. though. While we still have to wait a few more months for the Convention Centre, the Nash baby made his debut the day after the Crawl. Congratulations to David and Marie Nash on the birth of their son, Cayle, on Friday, Oct 5. Congratulations also to Fran and Keith de Beer and June and Howard Nash, Cayle's proud grandparents, and Mandy de Beer, the new aunt!
~Thank you to Sandy, Christy, Denzel and Howard for providing the venue for Thursday's Crawl
~Thank you to Margaret for recommending the News Cafe
~Happy Birthday to my niece, Laura, in Millersville, PA - Oct 12
Until next week,
Ellen
