New Cafe Coming To Ex-Starbucks On Church

Lattes on tap are coming to Church Street — as a new coffee shop plans to fill a long-empty groundfloor commercial space that was vacated by Starbucks four years ago. 

Fepo Cafe will be the first cafe in Connecticut to offer lattes on tap in a partnership with Philadelphia-based coffe roaster and retailer La Colombe, according to the new cafe’s co-owner, Mark Mozdzer. 

The coffee shop — planned for 195 Church St. at the northeast corner of the Green — will be the first business opening in the location since the closure of a Starbucks branch in September 2020.

“The flavor and texture of items coming off of draft is magnitudes better,” Mozdzer said in a recent interview about the coming cafe. ​“So if you haven’t tasted one of those yet, if you’re a coffee connoisseur, I definitely invite everybody to come down and try them.” 

Northside Development’s Paul Denz, the landlord of the 18-story office building at 195 Church, described the formerly vacant space of the cafe as a significant portion of the building as a whole. He said he’s been selective about which business should occupy the space. In particular, Denz was looking for a non-corporate, locally based business that would pay attention to the needs of the customers. Mozdzer, the cafe’s co-owner, is from Derby.

“We thought Starbucks would be a great addition to the building, but it was a corporate owned store,” Denz said, in reference to the Starbucks that closed in 2020. ​“The difference I think here is you’re going to have an owner in the space. It’s his business and he’s going to be very conscious of who’s coming and going from this space.”

Mozdzer noted that his business partner Edgardo Barboza has had previous experience in managing fast food businesses. Barboza will serve as the co-owner and operating manager, working as the ​“face of the cafe” every day. 

“When you’re the owner and you’re in the business, you have a lot more skin in the game than just hiring some general manager to run the operation,” Mozdzer said.

While there is no specific opening date as of yet, Mozdzer said that they are planning to open the cafe some time in mid-July. The cafe will operate seven days a week, from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends. Mozdzer said the times are flexible depending on demand. 

While walking by the soon-to-open cafe on Wednesday, a local ​“coffee-addict” (as titled by her daughter) Andreanna Angevine said her usual go-to spot is the Union Station Dunkin Donuts. But since she and her daughter pass by the Church and Elm street intersection often, she is excited for the two of them to try out the new coffee shop.

“We didn’t know the location was opening,” Angevine said. ​“I love coffee. I’d likely come try it.”