Alden Press Coffee Shop on the back patio of the historic Alden Villa is now open and selling coffees, teas, pastries, and ice cream.
The shop was open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday and 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday for its first weekend.
Harvey Turner, owner of the Alden Villa at 1012 Alden Way, said the ultimate goal is to turn the building into a bed-and-breakfast location, so they had to offer food before welcoming overnight guests.
“It all interlocks with our bed-and-breakfast that we’re going to open up here in about a month,” Turner said on Saturday. “The Amish girls — they’re doing a lot of Amish pastries, cream cheeses, things like that — they’ve been working for a month before we open, but you can’t open your bed-and-breakfast without having a breakfast.”
He said they’re also planning to get a liquor license to serve wine and beer.
The first day brought almost 100 customers. Turner said he was happy with the attendance and was getting all positive feedback.
“We had a great crowd today. It’s been busy all day,” he said. “It’s been good, and it’s great for the public. I’m glad they’re coming out.”
The demand was so high that about halfway through the day, he said they ran out of cream cheese.
Everything they sell is local to Central Pennsylvania, Turner said. He wouldn’t specify the particular roasters or ice cream makers, but said they tested multiple local brands to decide which would be the best for Alden Press Coffee Shop.
The Friday and Saturday hours might change in the future, so the drinks and pastries are available on weekdays. Turner said they’re limited by the workers’ availability.
“This is the time of year when Amish get married, so my girls right now can work Friday, Saturday,” he said. “Once we start getting a rhythm and we get maybe some other people trained … we’re going to open Wednesday and Thursday.”
They also offer punch cards, with the 10th stamp earning the patron a free drink. Alden Press Coffee Shop has a new Facebook page where customers can get updates.
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