OLEAN, N.Y. — The new Hatch Cafe on the SUNY Jamestown Community College Cattaraugus County Campus opened to the public on Monday with a flurry of activity and a line out the door at one point.
Visitors to the cafe located in the College Center along North Union Street were greeted with green, gold, and white balloons at the entrance, homey decor and furniture inside, and the familiar flavorful coffees, desserts, soups, and charcuteries of the former La Dolce Vita that once operated down the street in downtown Olean.
“We had some downtime today, which is expected, but yesterday was crazy,” Brianna Shay said on Tuesday afternoon. “We had a morning rush and then two afternoon rushes, and a line out the door. There's a lot of Nursing students that have been coming over, so that was cool. And then the faculty of the Nursing students came over and had lunch.
“And then a lot of the public has finally started to figure out where we're at, so that's a good thing, too.”
Shay, JCC’s coordinator of Innovation & Entrepreneurship, and Kathleen Martel, the campus Workforce Development director, have done much of the leg work – with big assists from the college Business office and Buildings and Grounds – to get the cafe up and running in three months. As baristas and other employees are still being hired to run the cafe, which is open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, Shay and Martel have also been busy managing day-to-day operations since it opened to the college community on March 4.
The cafe, named after JCC’s Hatch Incubator that supports small regional businesses, is inspired by the La Dolce Vita, which closed in January after nearly six years in downtown Olean. Laura Green, the owner of La Dolce Vita, is consulting at the new cafe on a temporary contract basis, while La Dolce Vita baker Liz Brenton, who Martel and Shay said is the “heart and soul of the bakery,” was hired to continue crafting signature cakes, pies, pastries and other freshly baked treats that pair well with the cafe’s vast selection of coffees and teas.
Green, a former longtime teacher and Cattaraugus Wyoming Head Start administrator, opted to close La Dolce Vita in December.
“We had several meetings with her on how we could help,” Martel said. “Like, is there anything that we could do to convince her to stay open. And she thought about it, and we threw around a lot of ideas, but she eventually decided that she wanted to close.”
That’s when Martel and Shay approached Holger Ekanger, JCC’s vice president of Workforce Development, about opening a similar coffee shop with new staff in the spacious campus cafeteria and kitchen area.
Work began to freshen up the space in January, including new carpeting, paint, window coverings, decor, and furniture. In February, espresso machines, stoves, refrigerators and other equipment were installed, and the first employees were hired.
And, just recently, Don Black from Don’s Barnwood Tables in Allegany donated handmade tables that enhance the cozy atmosphere of the space.
All expenses, including staff pay, have been covered by grant funding, with the hope that the cafe will sustain itself in future years.
“It has been a journey to say the least,” Shay said. “But we are here and we're doing it, and it's an adventure every day.”
“I think what's really good is we've been trying to support small businesses, but neither one of us has ever owned a business,” Martel added. “And now, with all of us that have gone through it and are still going through it, we're going to be a lot more resourceful in helping small businesses, because now we understand a whole lot more about what they go through, what the challenges are, and some of the ways that we can navigate them.”
There is more to come.
The covered concrete patio area outside the cafe is set to be renovated soon thanks to a generous donation to JCC, and tables and chairs purchased from La Dolce Vita will be moved there for outdoor seating on warm weather days.
Shay said the outside space is also ideal for bridal showers, wedding rehearsal dinners, birthday parties, and other special gatherings.
The Hatch Cafe additionally provides catering services, having already delivered for events held by Siemens Energy and Leadership Cattaraugus.
To support these endeavors, the cafe is aiming to hire more help. JCC is working with Jason Miller, executive director of the Cattaraugus-Allegany Workforce Development Board, to bring on high-school aged students for the summer.
During these whirlwind opening days, Mallory Reynolds, a JCC student intern, has been a lifesaver in lending a hand with all manners of operations.
“She’s incredible,” Shay said. “She's helped run the social media. She's helping work the register. She's learning how to run a POS system, how to do inventory, and how to run the espresso machine. She's learning so much. She's learning the ins and outs of running a business. And she changed her major completely this past month and now is going into marketing and communications.”
Meanwhile, Shay and Martel have received positive reviews from customers, including Paula Snyder, executive director of the Cattaraugus County Campus, who walked down from her second-floor office in College Center to visit the Hatch Cafe on its opening day.
“I was blown away by the balloons, signage, and so many people that were here to enjoy the cafe,” she said. “It’s such an inviting and lively place. I can’t wait for the outdoor seating to come this summer and to see what they can become in the years ahead. What an awesome addition to our campus.”