Little cafe with city charm opens in New Baltimore

For Kyle Dudek, slinging coffee in this little corner of town was an unexpected dream come true.

Late last summer, Dave Dudek, a local insurance agent and Kyle Dudek’s father, learned his clients would soon be giving up their business at the café, formerly A Little Mustard Seed.

“The idea kind of came barreling out of nowhere,” Kyle Dudek says. “I got a call from my dad saying, ‘Hey kid, you want to own a business?’”

For the past seven years, Kyle Dudek has held almost every job possible in the restaurant industry, from cook to manager. Now, he owns the newly opened City Café.

“It’s nice having the feeling that you’re putting something into something that’s yours rather than somebody else’s,” he says.

Dudek kept most of the café’s charm from its days as a Little Mustard Seed – the same rustic tables and chairs crowd the small space, and a giant cabinet houses decorations, business cards, and flyers.

The café offers classic breakfast items, sandwiches, coffee, iced and hot tea, and smoothies, with gluten-free menu options available. Dudek is open to feedback and suggestions from customers for menu items they would like to add or modify while the café is getting established.

Learning how to own and operate a business that opened just before winter has come with challenges and its own learning curve. But he is excited and hopeful for the summer, when locals and tourists flood New Baltimore’s restaurants to enjoy Michigan’s precious few months of warm, sunny weather.

“As much as I’ve had my difficulties, [the café] is still a very good thing, and I’d like to continue with it,” he says.

He also hopes to host more community events and classes. The café has already hosted a painting class and hot chocolate nights. Anyone interested in hosting a class or event should call during open hours at (586) 719 – 6359.

City Café is open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday through Monday at 51111 Washington St., New Baltimore, with the possibility of expanded hours for the summer.