Up & Coming Weekly

OCTOBER 7-13, 2009 UCW 27 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM Business Profile: Café España by STEPHANIE CRIDER STEPHANIE CRIDER, Staff Writer COMMENTS? 484-6200 ext. 222 or Stephanie@upandcomingweekly.com Just ask around and there are plenty of folks who believe that there isn't much to do or very many good places to eat in Fayetteville. The fact of the matter is that there is plenty to do and there are a plethora of great places to eat. Regular Up & Coming Weekly readers are well aware of this and un- derstand that it is just a matter of knowing where to look. The strip malls and small random shop- ping centers in this town are not always what they seem. In fact, many of them house some mighty fine treasures and pleas- ant surprises. Café España. Ever heard of it? Those who have, seem to love it. It is a quaint cafe located at 500 N. Reilly Rd. Walk in on a week day morning and you'll see a diverse crowd sipping coffee, eating bagels or pastries and bantering with the staff behind the counter. Whether it is soldiers grabbing a cup of joe for the road, retirees enjoy- ing an omelet and some juice while they chat, or moms stopping by for a treat after a grueling working out, Café España owner Susana Prieto has quite a following. Of course, the light and airy decor provides a welcoming atmo- sphere with its colorful paint and high ceilings, but it takes more than that to keep customers coming back. Since the restaurant opened its doors almost two years ago, Prieto has made it a priority to offer inter- esting menu items that are prepared well and served with a smile. When the shop opened, the plan was to just serve coffee, but when Prieto realized that there was an opportunity to offer more to her customer she knew what needed to be done. " We added sandwiches," said Prieto, "and when I met my chef we started thinking 'There is a lot more we really could do' and she helped us with a lot of ideas. We have expanded from there and we are continu- ing to expand. We have sandwiches, homemade soups that we do and we are starting to add more breakfast and lunch items…we have all of our specialty coffees, cappuccinos, lattes — stuff like that — and for lunch we are adding more hot meals. We still do all the sandwiches and we have a couple pasta dishes. A couple times a month we try to do paella." And the sandwiches at Café España are no ordinary sandwiches. The house specialty, Café España Sandwich or Tortilla de Patata, is a potato omelet with Spanish chorizo, parsley and garlic. The mouthwartering empanadas — a savory, filled pastry dough — come in assorted combi- nations like ham and mushroom and spinach and cheese. Prieto also caters events, providing unique menu choices that you may not find other places. On Saturdays, Café España makes fresh, homemade churros too. This weekly special is a treat worth driving across town for. Stop by between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. Mon.-Fri. and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sat. or give them a call at 910-764-1283. FRIDAY-SATURDAY, OCTOBER 16-17 CALLING ALL METHODIST MONARCHS TO STRIKE UP THE BAND FIRST MARCHING BAND IN METHODIST UNIVERSITY HISTORY PREMIERES THIS FALL! HOMECOMING Engage. Enrich. Empower. 910-630-7200 · www.methodist.edu 8FEOJHIUQSJDFCPUUMFPGXJOFt5VFTOJHIUNBSUJOJT )BJM'BSFXFMMTt$BMMGPS3FTFSWBUJPOTt8F$BUFS )BZ4U )JTUPSJD%PXOUPXO 678-8885 3BNTFZ4U /FYUUP.FUIPEJTU6OJWFSTJUZ 822-3590 0XOFS 0QFSBUFE Voted Fayetteville's Best Overall Restaurant Voted Fayetteville's Best Overall Restaurant Authentic Italian Cuisine Brick Fired NY Pizza Pierro's Late Night Patio Fri & Sat 10:30pm to 2:30 am

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