ITEM PHOTO BY OWEN O’ROURKE
Neil DeRosa, owner of the new coffee shop Brewin’ Cafe in Revere, serves coffee after the ribbon cutting on Wednesday.
By GAYLA CAWLEY
REVERE — The city officially welcomed Brewin’ Cafe to its downtown business district on Wednesday, which officials hope will become a popular spot in Revere.
Owner Neil DeRosa opened the doors of Brewin’ Cafe at 311 Broadway on Monday, but the grand opening and ribbon cutting, attended by city officials and members of the Revere Chamber of Commerce was two days later.
“I found this location and fell in love with it,” DeRosa said.
DeRosa, 57, owned another Brewin’ Cafe in Beverly for about a decade before he sold the space in June. He’s been in the food business for 34 years as an owner and operator. The Everett resident wanted a change and was looking to be a little closer to home. He’s always liked Revere and its beaches. He said he noticed the Broadway space around September, met with the owners and decided to rent it out.
Brewin’ Cafe is located right across from City Hall. Mayor Brian Arrigo said about 20 years ago, the space was another coffee shop, City Hall Variety. It was a place where everyone came to talk political shop. Arrigo said he was hoping the Brewin’ Cafe becomes the new hot spot for people on Broadway and the rest of the city.
“We’re excited to bring a small business like this that has a variety of coffee and breakfast food, and really an atmosphere of community that we want to attract,” Arrigo said.
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The cafe serves coffee, lattes, cappuccino, tea, pastries, salads and sandwiches. About 145 kinds of hot and cold beverages are available, along with New York-style fresh bagels.
Arrigo said many people in the city want coffee shops, somewhere to grab an espresso, and to have the cafe as an option is exciting. The mayor said the space had been vacant for a few months.
“It was a no-brainer when they were interested in coming down here,” he said.
Bob Upton, executive director of the Revere Chamber of Commerce, said the cafe provides a nice meeting place on the street.
“We love the idea of having a fresh, new business on Broadway,” he said. “There’s been an effort to improve the look and feel of Broadway. This is evidence of it.”
DeRosa said the cafe has four employees and so far, the business has been busy.
“We are excited to be part of the rebirth of small business in Revere, and bring high quality food and beverages to Revere residents,” DeRosa said in a statement before the ribbon cutting. “There are lot of exciting things going on in Revere right now, and under the leadership of Mayor Arrigo and other city leaders, this will continue to be a great place to do business for years to come.”
Gayla Cawley can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @GaylaCawley