New Feature
by Luna Coffee
DePere, WI
The Beginning
Owners Angela and Mark Patel, sitting in an Italian restaurant named Luna in New York’s Little Italy some 20 odd years ago, Angela and Mark decided that if they ever opened their own shop, after working for several years in the coffee business, that they had found the name of their coffee shop. Surrounded by friends and family, good food, coffee, wine, and strangely enough, an Elvis impersonator, Luna represented all that was good in the world in that moment in time. They hoped that one day their own shop would embody all of those things and more, and their family of employees and customers tell them that it does and that the future is bright.
Charity Work
They began to work with local charities almost from day one. They created their Good Dog Blend to benefit the Bay Area Humane Society and have given thousands of dollars to them over the years and adopted two dogs, Lester and Bird (yes, after the jazz greats!). Their Syble Hopp School Music Series began in 2006, during which they take area and touring music groups to the amazing De Pere school for children ages 3 to 21 with physical and developmental disabilities. Little did they know then that their youngest son, Remi, born 10 weeks premature in 2008, would later attend that very school. Remi had severe cerebral hemorrhaging when he was born and suffers from cerebral palsy, epilepsy, asthma, and cortical blindness. Despite his health issues, Remi reminds them everyday of his strength and courage. He inspires them to be better people.
Working with Schools
They recently set up a mini Luna Cafe in a classroom at Syble Hopp School, and the students get to brew coffee and serve it to the staff, and they learn basic business skills of customer service, ordering supplies, and
handling money. They continue to work with countless local charities, donating coffee for fundraisers, and giving back to the community that has embraced them as their local hang out. The menu is dotted with food items and drinks named after their family, and more than one couple has even gotten married in the cafe. They have hosted musicians from around the world, seen their regulars’ children grow, and mourned the loss of some dear friends who they met over the front counter. Luna
equals Local, and, yes, we say it because so much of what they serve is locally made and sourced, but what it really means is Luna and this community are their home.
Keep logging in to Farmer Best regularly to see what other new product will be rolling out soon.
