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Popular Mill Ave. cafe to get new 'home'

caffeboa18-1
Sarah Regnier / THE STATE PRESS
Jay Wisniewski, owner of Caffe Boa, stands inside the new location on Mill Avenue.

Meals at Caffe Boa are moving slightly north.

The Mediterranean restaurant has been a mainstay of Mill Avenue for 12 years, but is in the process of moving to a new location at Mill Avenue and Fourth Street. It will replace Bar Louie.

Caffe Boa general manager Casey Minard said the new location would open within two weeks. They are hoping not to close during the move.

The new location, at 398 S. Mill Ave., is nearly 3,000 square feet larger than the current location, said Rod Keeling, executive director of Downtown Tempe Community, a private nonprofit organization that works with the city to improve the downtown area.

Minard said there would be more indoor seating in the new location, which would be a big improvement.

"In case of bad weather, we only had six tables inside," she said of the current location.

There will be hardwood floors and brick detail inside, as well as live music on weekends and a full bar. Caffe Boa currently serves only beer and wine.

"It is going to be gorgeous," Minard said. "It will still have that cafe feel, not like a corporate chain restaurant. It's cozy; people will feel at home."

The restaurant owners thought it was important to retain the cafe atmosphere because they want Caffe Boa to have an intimate feel, Minard added.

They are not worried about the move disturbing their customer following, Minard said.

"We have regulars that have been coming for years and years and years," she said.

The restaurant is relocating because there are plans to demolish the current building. A new building will fill the location following the demolition.

Minard and Keeling agreed it was best for Caffe Boa to change locations rather than wait for the new building to be constructed.

"We didn't want to stay because we don't know how long we can stay here," Minard said. "So we decided to find a new home."

Keeling said the move was a better option for the business.

"I don't believe a small business can go out of business for six months or more," he said. "They would lose their pattern of use. Pattern of use is a valuable thing to a small business or any business. It would have been a mistake.

"There was a conscious effort to retain Caffe Boa," Keeling said.

Keeling added that Caffe Boa meets the needs of customers in the downtown area.

"It was a good deal all around," Keeling said.

Reach the reporter at katherine.ruark@asu.edu.

EDITOR'S NOTE: This story was amended Jan. 20 to display the correct relocation cross streets, Mill Avenue and Fourth Street, for Caffe Boa.


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