Disciples Cafe’s upcoming expansion will broaden its menu to include wraps and salads, and maybe desserts in the future, says Sandy Caldwell, who co-owns the cafe with husband Wayne Caldwell.
"We’re going to have 12 different flavors of Plainwell ice cream, too," Caldwell says. "And we’re adding an outdoor patio that will seat about 30 people."
Along with growth come jobs. The cafe currently employs three, including a barista who came on board in early April. By the end of May, Caldwell hopes to hire four to eight more to handle the increased business from a menu that now includes soups, pastries, specialty coffees and other beverages, nachos, burgers and hot dogs.
Caldwell calls the expansion, which will not change the size of the building itself, a "mini-reconstruction."
"We are adding a display case for the sandwiches and wraps," Caldwell says. "Also the ice cream dip cooler."
The reconstruction work, which will more than double seating during warm weather (between the indoor and outdoor seating areas) and could triple the employee roster, was necessary to keep up with customer demand.
"We knew that if we want to be able to stay around, we needed to add some things," she says. "The ice cream will be a very good thing -- especially with a place to sit outside and eat it."
The cozy cafe is stocked with board games for guests to play while they sip a beverage or after a meal, and there is free, live music on select evenings.
Writer: Kelle Barr, Second Wave Media
Source: Sandy Caldwell, co-owner, Disciples Cafe
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