There’s a new café tucked into the Essex Towne Marketplace off Susie Wilson Road. The Cup & Leaf is in the midst of its soft opening, offering coffee and pastries from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. daily.
The cozy café occupies Unit 25 of the shopping center at 1 Market Place. It’s the only coffee shop in Vermont using beans from Chicago-based roaster Intelligentsia, a staple of the specialty coffee world.
Co-owner Mike Sands, 39, has worked in the coffee industry for a decade, having opened several cafés for a restaurant group in Massachusetts before managing multiple locations of Boston’s Flat Black Coffee. Since he and his wife, co-owner Danielle Botto, moved to Vermont in 2020, he’s been composing music for film and television.
“That work started to dry up, and it felt like time to do it the way I always imagined in my head,” Sands said of opening his own café. “The universe brought us to this location; it’s a little off the beaten path, but it’s kind of perfect.”
The couple renovated the space and built a new espresso bar. They’re now pouring traditional lattes and cappuccinos, as well as drinks such as the Espresso Spartico: a double shot with lime and brown sugar. Tea, tea lattes, and an extensive hot and iced chocolate menu featuring housemade ganache are also on offer.
“Right now, we’re keeping it whimsical with fun flavored lattes and silly names,” Sands said. “But I’m excited to bring Intelligentsia’s standard and culture here.”
When the kitchen is complete and staffing allows, the Cup & Leaf will serve small plates for breakfast and lunch, including breakfast sandwiches and “northern Scottish comfort food” such as porridge and 12-hour brisket rarebit, Sands said.
The original print version of this article was headlined “The Cup & Leaf Specialty Coffee Shop Opens in Essex”
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This article appears in Dec 4-10, 2024.
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