It may be a business, but the owners of Java Bean Cafe feel like they've created a family.
The colourful cafe located at 175 Chancellors Way has become a place for residents to grab a coffee and have a chat. It also offers catering for events.
“We have (university) students who will order a cup of coffee and sit for hours, but we love them because we feel like they feel at home this way,” said co-owner Rohan Aggarwal.
“They love the chic vibe and the calm atmosphere here."
The business is owned by Rohan and his wife Sakshi. Together, they offer meals and baked goods made from scratch and coffee sourced from local suppliers.
“We try to use those things that you would use in your own homes,” Sakshi said about the food.
“We have a few students, we know their set orders. They’ll come, sit, and have their breakfast and say, ‘Okay, I want this for lunch,’ and they leave and will come back, and we have that ready for them."
Popular items on the menu include pressed paninis, like turkey delight and chicken pesto, along with waffles that can be made sweet or savoury.
“People really like our coffee," said Sakshi. "My father and his father both said, ‘When people are coming back to you, that means your business is a success.'"
The Aggarwal's took over the cafe in December 2021 from a previous owner who converted a previous cafe, called the Carbon Cafe, into the Java Bean Cafe. When they became the new owners, Rohan said they decided to keep everything the same, including the name.
"He made the grounds for our success, because he was the one who made the changes," Rohan said about the previous owner.
Since coming to Canada in 2019, Rohan mentions they both had a dream of owning their own business. When the cafe was available for sale last year, Sakshi said saw it as an opportunity, as it allowed them to spend more time with their six-year-old son. The couple hopes to teach their son life skills and the value of money.
"I pay him when he works," said Sakshi, “He knows that the money doesn’t come for free, you need to work.”
The couple also run two ghost kitchens, Ti-Amo Pasta and Forever Waffles.
Seeing returning customers in the cafe and through online orders, the Aggarwal's hope to someday open other cafe locations and expand their catering business.
“Once we are very much stable with what we are doing, and once they know our name, we want to expand in Guelph, Kitchener and Waterloo,” said Rohan.
For the both of them, their business is much about fostering a sense of community for residents as it is supplying a great product.
“They come, they interact, they sit and eat. It’s kind of a social thing, they don’t just eat and go, you know? It’s almost like a family thing," said Sakshi.
The Java Bean Cafe is open Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and is on Uber Eats, Skip The Dishes, Direct Local Eats and Order Up.
