There is a small glass tip jar that sits on the counter of Café Fresco. Most people buy their coffee and may leave a dollar in the jar. But few pay attention to the description it bears. It reads: “Every week we choose a deserving person to donate the “tip jar” funds to, realizing that not all are given the same opportunities and may have encountered some misfortunes. To date, this money has provided food, clothes, toiletries and transportation to many in and around Crown Point.”
Breanne Zolfo, owner of Café Fresco, estimates the jar has probably provided thousands of dollars to local people in need.
“Each week, I clear out the jar and find someone in need,” says Zolfo. “Generally, I like to give it to an individual instead of an organization as I want to make a more direct impact on people’s lives.”
One woman who benefited from the jar lived at St. Jude House, a family crisis center in Northwest Indiana. With the money from the tip jar, Zolfo was able to buy her food and clothing as well as helping with a down payment for her car.
The spirit of giving extends beyond the tip jar.
“I talk a lot with the customers and if someone is having a bad day or if I know someone can’t afford coffee that day, we give them free coffee,” explains Zolfo. “We have a program called Café Suspesciou where customers can buy cups of coffee for other customers.”
Giving has always been a part of Zolfo’s life and it’s a lesson she has learned well from her parents Mike and Mickey Zolfo.
“My parents have dinner each week for people that they meet in the community,” says Zolfo. “They could be customers or friends or perfect strangers. The number ranges but we have had as many as eighteen for dinner! We have met some really amazing people and have made some lifelong friendships.”
Until the age of 24, Zolfo worked as a nanny. She saved her money hoping to someday buy real estate. The opportunity presented itself when the building at 1 North Court Street came up at a Sheriff’s sale for back taxes. The building had previously been a Mexican restaurant.
“I was the only one who came to the auction to bid on it," says Zolfo. "Even though I was the only one, I still had to raise my hand to bid and they walked me through the process.”
Breanne's story of acquiring Café Fresco is one of accidental entrepreneurship and being in the right place at the right time.
“I thought I would just rent the building out. But, I was vacationing in Florida when someone I met was selling all the fixtures from his café. I called my dad to tell him I was now a café owner and he was not happy to say the least!” Most of what you see in the café, from the silverware to the counter, came from that initial purchase.
In the evenings, Café Fresco becomes a classroom for people learning to speak English. There is a classroom in the back of the café and she currently teaches nineteen students. She used to teach “English as a Second Language” at the Adult Learning Center in Crown Point. She now gets her students though Work One, a Northwest Indiana career and employment center. Many students do not even have their driver’s license so Breanne will drive to their house and pick them up.
Café Fresco also serves as an impromptu Chamber of Commerce. On any particular day, people will stop in because they are moving to town or inquiring about another business
Like other coffee houses, Café Fresco sells coffee, tea and pastries made fresh every day. In the warmer months, they also sell frozen yogurt. It’s much more than the items for sale, though. Their back wall serves as a black board where Breanne has written her favorite quotes regarding optimism. On the wall she asks, “What makes you happy?” The responses are written on post-it notes and there are hundreds of them. “When people write what makes them happy, they smile and it may be the one time during the week where they think about what is good in their lives,” Zolfo explains.
Besides a great cup of Intelligentsia coffee, Café Fresco also serves up relationships, both business and personal. A few months ago, a couple got engaged at Café Fresco and plan to exchange their vows in the café where he proposed.
“I bought coffee at another place for ten years and never met anyone,” says financial advisor and Café Fresco customer Joshua Mauk. “I have made so many business connections through Breanne. She has really helped my business grow.”
“I met my latest client through Breanne, says graphic designer Joe Ramirez.” “I am now designing an advertising package for a local spa.”
“Sometimes when I think about my life, it seems unreal. It feels like I am watching a movie about someone else,” says Zolfo.
To others, the effect Zolfo has had on them seems unreal as well.
“Giving is how I was raised," says Zolfo. My dad would always tell us that we have been given so many blessings that it is only right that we share our blessings with others. My mom says you are a light for other people. And you may be the only light in their lives. If that’s the case, then you need to put all your effort into being the best light you can be for them.”
Café Fresco, Breanne Zolfo, the wall of optimism and the tip jar that gives back to those in need are all located at 1 North Court Street in Crown Point, IN. Their phone number is (219) 663-1100 and their website is at www.frescocp.com . They also have a Facebook page. Stop in for a cup of coffee served with a big smile and a hot of optimism.