Lifelong Danbury resident Jerry Barton and his aunt, Danbury native Terry Waterhouse Scalzo, now of Bethel, plan to open City Center Cafe in the West Street space formerly occupied by Barrister’s Coffee Company.
“We’re trying to bring something that will help revitalize downtown a little bit,” Barton said. “I’ve lived in Danbury my whole life and I just want to see that area grow strong.”
Affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, Barrister’s closed last summer after two years in business. Barton said he and his aunt decided to pick up where the coffeehouse left off and offer even more.
The menu being planned for City Center Cafe includes caffeinated and blended beverages, as well as sandwiches, salads, ice cream, bagels and baked goods.
“We want to open something where people can go in and grab a sandwich, ice cream or coffee,” he said. “Just about everything we can do, we’re going to try to do.”
Although Barton does not have experience in the food industry, Scalzo does.
Before she was a certified nursing assistant, Scalzo said she worked in the food services industry — dating back to her teenage years working at Dunkin’ Donuts locations in Danbury.
Scalzo said she went on to work for companies that provided food services to area businesses like the Ethan Allen headquarters, the former headquarters of the Grolier publishing company and Cendant Mobility.
Barton said City Center Cafe will feature a full coffee bar with coffee, tea, espressos, cappuccinos and frappuccinos, as well as “some very unique things you can’t find at places like Starbucks and Dunkin’.”
One of its unique offerings will be something Barton calls “signature frappuccinos.”
“It’s basically going to be like full fudge brownies inside frappuccinos. It will be something new to the area that nobody is doing yet,” he said. “They’re doing it down South a little bit, so we want to bring that up here and see how it goes.”
In addition to a wide variety of food and beverages, Scalzo said a box will be set up at City Center Cafe where people can provide suggestions for new drinks and foods.
“We are going to be at a busy intersection in town and we want to have enough variety for people to stop in and enjoy,” she said.
Barton said the cafe will be “City Center-focused” with artwork of historic Danbury places and events like the Great Danbury State Fair and 1955 flood.
“Throughout the coming months, we plan to add pictures and keep adding more as we get them,” he said.
Barton said he hopes City Center Cafe will attract more people to the downtown area and help revitalize CityCenter Danbury.
“We don’t have as many people as we’d like to see walking around down there,” he said.
With Kennedy Flats and the incoming Brookview Commons II development, Barton said he’s hopeful that will change.
Scalzo said she is excited to open City Center Cafe and hopes it will be a hit with residents of Danbury and surrounding towns.
“I hope to see many people come in and give us a try,” she said.
The future home of City Center Cafe will undergo some minor remodeling, Barton said, and although its opening day has not been set in stone, he’s hoping it will be some time in August.
With college students returning to school in less than two months, Scalzo said it would be ideal to open the café by then.
“The college comes back towards the end of August and we’d like to be all set and ready,” she said.
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Danbury-area residents hope to help ‘revitalize downtown’ with new café - Danbury News Times
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