Caffè Così encourages relaxation with fresh Italian coffee, pastries
Italian-inspired cafe opens in Eastwood
Christopher and Kate Fernandez opened Caffè Così last Wednesday in Syracuse’s Eastwood neighborhood, featuring freshly roasted coffee and Italian pastries.
Christopher Fernandez always makes sure to scope out the area for the best cup of coffee whenever he and his wife, Kate Fernandez, travel. He looks for the place that makes the best cup of coffee, who’s making it and which spot has the nicest environment.
As of last Wednesday, Christopher and his family are now running their own coffee shop.
“You walk in and you feel at home,” Christopher said. “It gives you a warm feeling, you want to stay. That’s what we’re trying to manifest here.”
Caffè Così opened its doors last Wednesday in Eastwood. Located at 3501 James St., the shop is currently open from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., but Christopher said they plan to expand the hours and menu once they have more people on staff.
So far, Christopher and Hannah McClurkin, a barista at Caffè Così, said they’ve been busy with customers, but the experience has been uplifting. The shop is already accumulating its share of regulars, McClurkin said. She’s enjoyed seeing how happy the neighborhood has been to have the cafe open.
The space where Caffè Così is located was the original Café Kubal, which closed in early February. Christopher would spend two hours at Cafè Kabul every morning, where he joked with owner Matt Godard that if the place ever went up for sale, he’d be interested. Godard said that’d be like losing a kidney.
A little over a year ago, Godard called Christopher to tell him he would like to sell the space to him. On opening day, Christopher and Kate’s daughter, SU freshman Jewell Fernandez, worked at the shop before going to class. Jewell said so far, they’ve been adjusting to the wave of business, since her family has never operated a coffee shop until opening Caffè Così.
“You don’t realize how many things are involved in opening a business and getting started,” Jewell said.
While McClurkin, Christopher and his family focus on the front end of Caffè Così with its service, appearance, atmosphere and food, Godard roasts the coffee beans for the shop.
“It’s become a perfect alliance,” Christopher said. “I love the front end of it, I love the cafe aspect of it, and of course, with fantastic beans, it’s not hard to make a good cup of coffee.”
Christopher and Kate found inspiration for Caffè Così’s decor after a trip to Tuscany. They were drawn to the countryside, villas and architecture of the region. With Kate as the design eye behind the coffee shop, the marble tabletops, potted green plants and vintage-looking paintings and photos of Italy give Caffè Così a classic, relaxing atmosphere.
Christopher grew up on the Northside of Syracuse, surrounded by a melting pot of various ethnicities, including many Italians. Though he didn’t speak the language at home, he heard various phrases — like “così” — through spending time with his neighbors.
In Italian, caffè means “coffee,” and così means “like this.” The meaning behind the shop’s name points to Christopher’s goal of creating a place for patrons to pause and enjoy coffee amid the chaos of life. Christopher wants to echo back to the familiarity of his childhood, like the hospitality he always experienced on the Northside.
“We go to Riley’s on the Northside and he (Christopher) calls that his living room because all our neighbors go, and I think he wanted another place to have that same experience,” Jewell said.
McClurkin said she wants everyone to feel welcome to hang out at the cafe for however long they’d like.
“When I take away plates from someone, I tell them ‘Please, stay as long as you’d like. There’s no rush; enjoy yourself and get comfortable,’” McClurkin said.
Caffè Così currently serves items like biscotti, chocolate hazelnut croissants, banana bread and breakfast sandwiches, like prosciutto, egg and cheese. The pastries are sourced from multiple venues, such as Biscotti Cafe & Pastry Shop, where Jewell used to work. She now helps order the pastries for Caffè Così.
Christopher wants to feel good about the food he’s serving, so the cafe is using fresh, whole foods — like cage-free eggs, organic Tuscan bread and prosciutto with no additives or nitrates — for the sandwiches.
Even though Christopher didn’t have experience running a cafe before opening Caffè Così, he worked as a cook in his teenage years and early 20s. Her dad’s love for cooking definitely contributed to him opening the cafe, Jewell said.
“It’s a good outlet for him to advance one of his hobbies and make it a business,” Jewell said. “It’s a creative business for both of my parents, and it’s good considering that I’m in college now, and my brother’s going to be in college pretty soon.”
With coffee culture in the northeastern United States becoming fast-paced due to mobile orders and people on the go, Christopher hopes that Caffè Cossì will encourage people to slow down.
“I think the world’s upside down, I’m trying to provide something that will be more personal,” Christopher said.
