New Bedford Café Fulfills Lifelong Dream For Owner
BEDFORD — At the age of 40, Marquessa Cook is finally fulfilling one of her lifelong dreams — and bringing an independent café to a new area of the city in the process.
In May, Cook will open the Mellow Mug on Larry Uteck Boulevard in South Bedford.
The “craft” coffee shop will serve freshly made baked goods and drinks to a neighbourhood that hasn’t traditionally attracted independent cafés.
But it is also the culmination of years of work for Cook, who says she’s always dreamed of opening her own shop.
Cook grew up in the restaurant business, starting as a server at her family’s place on the Cabot Trail when she was 13.
She worked for years at Danena’s Restaurant, but when her grandma passed away in 2002 the business shut down and Cook headed to Halifax.
For nearly two decades she worked at Cabin Coffee in downtown Halifax, starting as a barista and gradually working her way into a more managerial role.
But she says her work as a kid, and her time at Cabin was kind of “all in the pursuit of owning my own coffee shop one day.”
Starting a restaurant isn’t cheap, so five years ago she went to the bank and put together a plan to start saving for her own place. This year she hit her goal.
In January, she wrangled her way into a lease, thanks in part to all the new space that has opened up thanks to Covid-19-related shutdowns.
In March, she left Cabin Coffee and says she hopes to open the doors of the Mellow Mug in May.
“I turned 40 in March and I just really wanted to have my own coffee shop here in Halifax for years and years. So I just—I took the leap,” Cook says. “This is huge for me.”
Cook says she couldn’t afford to build from the ground up and didn’t want to take over someone else’s shop.
“I kind of wanted my own thing. I wanted to make my own mark,” she says.
So she snagged a location that was already set up as a café. In this case, the former Second Cup on Larry Uteck Boulevard.
With the Mellow Mug, Cook wants to create a “comfy, cozy coffee shop” where people feel relaxed “as soon as they open the door.”
“I mean, I’m going to have a really chill vibe, but my coffee is going to be really strong,” she says with a laugh.
She says she’s completely overhauled the inside, leaving little trace of the Second Cup that occupied the space before her.
There will be a “snug” area in one corner with big coaches and chairs, and lots of plants hanging in large, bright windows.
Cook is also excited to create a menu of freshly made baked goods, many of them recipes passed down to her from her grandmother.
“It’s going to be so nice to be able to give the public something that’s fresh, homemade, and warm out of the oven,” Cook says.
More than that, however, Cook says she’s excited to finally fulfill her dream of owning her own café.
“It feels amazing, absolutely amazing. Obviously, there are moments of stress and anxiety, especially during this year. But it’s amazing that it’s going to be my own and I get to make all of my own decisions,” she says.