Downtown Trenton has long been without a sit-down coffee shop — until now Watch video
TRENTON -- Downtown Trenton has long been without a sit-down coffee shop -- until now. After a group of business partners toyed with the idea of putting a cafe in the downstairs space of their building for years, the dream became a reality with last month's opening of 128 West State Cafe.
Business leaders and politicians celebrated its grand opening Tuesday and hope it will continue to help revitalize the downtown area.
"We wanted to have healthy food, good service and a place for Trenton to feel proud of and we think we might have something here," said Dale Florio, one of the owners. "West State Street just seemed to cry out for a gathering space so if this becomes a place where people feel comfortable to spend a few moments whether they just want to pick up a quick coffee or they want to actually sit down and have a sandwich or salad, this is the place to come."
The store's location alone could make it a success. It is situated directly across from the Statehouse.
Assemblyman Reed Gusciora (D-Mercer) said urban revitalization often starts with a coffee shop.
"It really could create a snowball effect on West State Street that really makes it a Main Street again," he said.
Robert Prunetti, president and CEO of the MidJersey Chamber of Commerce, said 128 West State adds to the "capital district vibe" and would hopefully encourage others to make similar investments.
The shop is owned by Florio, Brad Brewster, Thomas Byrne, Norris Clark, Kevin Hagan, Jim McQueeny and David Smith, the majority of whom work in public affairs and communications.
The cafe is run by Charlie and Sharon Yeh, who own Sumo Asian Cuisine and Viva Gelato Cafe in Pennington, and is managed on a daily basis by Kelvin Johnson.
Those who frequent Trenton Social might recognize Charlie Yeh from its monthly sushi nights, where he brings a mobile sushi bar.
"We knew we weren't going to make the bagels and the muffins so we needed a partner like Charlie," Florio said. "He brings the restaurant expertise and we brought the financial resources so it's been a good marriage."
Brewster has been a regular customer of Yeh's and had talked with him for the past couple of years about opening something in the downtown space.
"The timing was right," Yeh said. "He was ready for me and I was ready for him."
The menu is small so they can turn around items quickly and features fresh, local ingredients -- including pork roll from both Taylor Provisions and Case Pork Roll.
They carry a wide selection of coffee from Princeton-based Small World Cafe, freshly baked breads and bagels for breakfast and sandwiches and salads for lunch.
Two popular items are the seared tuna steak and tuna salad which uses sushi-grade tuna, Yeh said, adding that customers can expect sushi to be added to the menu in the future.
Many people said that 128 West State Cafe was a much-needed addition to the downtown.
"The nearest retail block is actually pretty far away ... so having this for visitors to the Statehouse, for visitors to the State Museum in addition to the many, many people who work right around here, this was a huge gap and I'm really glad that we have this," said Iana Dikidjieva, Trenton Downtown Association's interim executive director.
Mayor Eric Jackson called Tueday another great day for the city.
"It shows that we're continuing to move in the right track and in the right direction," he said.
Cristina Rojas may be reached at crojas@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @CristinaRojasTT. Find The Times of Trenton on Facebook.