New owners opened shop again Monday
By John Tredrea, Staff Writer
A famous old song starts out by telling us that in this vast and troubled world, we sometimes lose our way. True enough.
But two things we’ll always know, come what may. We’ll always know what a cup of Joe is, and we’ll always know if we want a cup of Joe.
For a long time — about eight years — Cup of Joe was at 20 N. Main St. in downtown Pennington. Then, owner Susan DiMarcello decided it was time to move on, and she sold the place a few months ago.
Cup of Joe closed for renovations as we entered the just-completed holiday season. A lot of work was being done inside these past few weeks, and people in town kept asking each other when Cup of Joe would open. On Monday morning, it did.
”We hope everyone will come in and visit and check out our new place,” Dayna Unfried said Tuesday morning. Ms. Unfried, who lives in Titusville, and her mother, Diane O’Donnell, are the partners in Cup of Joe. Ms. O’Donnell lives in Fallsington, Pa.
Ms. Unfried has a bachelor’s degree in culinary nutrition from Johnson Wales University, in Rhode Island. Before making the move to Cup of Joe, she worked several years as a cook at Wildflowers, on the Pennington Circle.
”Opening a coffee shop is something I’ve always wanted to do,” she said. “I’ve worked in bagel shops and breakfast places and just liked the friendly, active atmosphere they had.”
Cup of Joe has been born again and looks it. Everything, top to bottom and stem to stern, has been repainted. The floors, counters, cabinets, tables and chairs and restroom are all new. The shop is open from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Coffee and tea drinks, juices, pastries, muffins, bagels, muffins, fresh fruit, breakfast platters, breakfast sandwiches are on the morning menu. For lunch, there are also hot and cold sandwiches and salads. There’s a kids’ menu, too.
Ms. Unfried likes to name her sandwiches after friends and family members. The Kelly’s Steak ‘n Egg breakfast sandwich, for instance, has roast beef, horseradish, cheddar and egg with spicy mustard and mayo on an English muffin. That’ll get you through to lunch at least. Diane’s Delight has lox and cream cheese with capers and red onion on the bread of your choice. For lunch, Matt’s Mess has buffalo grilled chicken, blue cheese dressing and lettuce and tomato in a wrap. The Meredith ‘n Kyle has hummus, tomato, peppers, cucumbers, red onions and sprouts in a wrap. There are many other choices.
”I hope to put out a suggestion box for new sandwiches,” Ms. Unfried said. “If we put one on the menu, we’ll name it after whoever suggested it.”
Asked what she likes to do when not working, Ms. Unfried said: “Cook and meet with friends” — Just like at Cup of Joe.