Julie Anne's Place Has Opened, Softly

West Goshen residents Laura and Dave Iezzi quietly opened last month in Malvern Borough, across the street from . They hung a "Now Open" banner outside the eatery, which was formerly Cafe Marie, allowing curious passersby to be the first patrons.

"Laura wanted a very low-key opening to work some kinks out with the menu and the staff, but after one week she [was] ready to tell the world," Dave said of the new cafe, which his wife will run.

The layout of the cafe has remained very similar under the new ownership, but the menu has changed.

"[Cafe] Marie was primarily a coffee shop," Dave said. "Food, sandwiches, hoagies—that’s really what we are about."

The espresso machine, a crown jewel of the countertop, is gone. The Iezzis kept it a few days, and even let a few patrons make their own drinks, but in the end decided it required too much upkeep and didn't fit their business model.

"We’re really not crazy about [the concept of] 'Come on in, grab a cappuccino and sit here for three hours,'" Dave said.

Instead, they offer an expanded food menu, including items like a Veggie Tuscan sandwich, Chicken Ranch Sub and rotating soup options, plus a full breakfast menu. So far, iced tea has been the top seller in the sultry first days of summer.

Julie Anne's Cafe, named after Laura's late sister, is open for breakfast and lunch daily, and might eventually open on select evenings as a B.Y.O.B.

Laura is no stranger to the food service industry. For six years, she owned and operated Fi-Deli, located in the Fidelity Court Building in Radnor. She sold the business in 1993 to devote more time to her 2-year-old son and her baby daughter on the way.

Over the next 18 years, she worked as a waitress as she raised their children, Laura, Tia and John, all of whom now help out at the new cafe. Recently, she started keeping an eye out for business opportunities, eventually finding 22 Warren Ave. on Craigslist.

Since opening, they've seen light traffic some days, and every seat filled on others, the Iezzis said. They've been happy with the traffic and said they love the neighborhood, and they realize they're in a much different situation than they were two decades ago.

"Back in Radnor, we had a captive audience," Dave said. "Most of the people in the office building ate there. Radnor High School kids, all the businesses, PennDOT, Wyeth, TV Guide, and they were still building the Blue Route then. So the workers would come in."

The Iezzis have kept much of Cafe Marie's decor, preserving the display case, the wooden chairs and tables, and the outdoor dining area. But the upstairs, which the former owners didn't utilized for the business, might become a second dining room.

"There's 120-plus square feet of space up there, where we want to add some tables and chairs," Dave said. "We've had a lot of requests [of] 'Can we come in there and do small meetings?'"

But those developments are down the line. Laura and her familial staff already have their hands full from the time the arrive each day at 6:30 a.m.

"Some days we’ve had some of our local friends waiting for us at the door," Laura said during a brief pause between duties.

"Alright, I’m going to keep moving," she said, heading back to the kitchen. "If I stop, I’ll just fall asleep, and I can’t do that."

Julie Anne's Place, located at 22 S. Warren Ave., is open Tuesday to Saturday, 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Sunday 6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Find more information on their Facebook page.