LOUDER THAN EXPECTED - Noris and Brant Hemingway, and daughter Aracelis Sepulveda proudly stand outside the new Geneva Cafe. The family has been overwhelmed with support since the family ‘quietly’ opened in July, 2021.
Star Eagle photo by Deb Bently
By MELANIE PILTINGSRUD AND DEB BENTLY, Staff Writers
The Hemingway family, namely Noris and her daughter Aracelis, are the faces behind Noris Cuisine, the new “Little Cafe,” in downtown Geneva.
After a quiet, ‘soft opening’ in July, the new franchise is already turning into a customer favorite. Noris, a Venezuelan native who moved to Minnesota 19 years ago, says their attempt at a soft opening was anything but quiet. It got busy right away.
“We’ve been very pleased with the amount of business,” says Aracelis Sepulveda, Noris’s daughter and a second-year college student. “We work very hard to give people a dining experience that they’ll enjoy.”
The atmosphere of Noris Cafe is charming. Wooden tables and chairs and even a comfortable sofa invite customers to stay a while, enjoy a meal, or sip their coffee or tea in colorful 12 and 16 oz. mugs. A lighted sign on the wall reminds everyone there are “Good Days Ahead” and large windows overlook an outdoor seating area, and the city park beyond.
With about 35 indoor seats and another 16 or so outside, it might be tempting to think of it as a small-scale operation, but that’s not how it feels as people come and go.
“It's pretty hard to stay out of here,” says Dewayne Jensen, owner of Jensen Plumbing & Heating, who insists with enthusiasm that everything on the menu is good; “You can't go wrong.”
The café, located along Geneva’s main thoroughfare, might not be open if it had not been for the Covid-19 pandemic. Aracelis explains that she, her mother, her aunt Ammy Gomez and some employees had been operating a food truck for the past five years, spending most weather-worthy weekends offering their cuisine at festivals and events in a wide area that extended from Mankato to Rochester, and even the Twin Cities.
Still parked next to the cafe and ready for use when the occasion arises, the food truck was also an extension of Noris’s love for preparing food. “I told my husband [local photographer Brant Hemingway] that I wanted to open a cafe,” she says. “But he said, no, if you have a cafe, you will be working all the time.” After thinking that over, Noris offered the idea of a food truck, which would be more of a weekend occupation. Having decided the idea was agreeable, Noris says that Brant set to work to build a food trailer from the ground up “that very same day.”
When Noris learned, after having been in business for a time, that maneuvering the trailer created too many difficulties, she states with a broad smile that Brant then proceeded to build a truck.
Given the limited size and facilities of a portable food stand, the truck specialized in Venezuelan cuisine, which she was familiar with from her childhood. This offered something both exotic and eye-catching at busy events, but flexible enough to satisfy nearly any customer.
One of the dishes the food truck was known for was Arepas, which Aracelis describes as “almost like a cornmeal sandwich.” A mixture of cornmeal, water, salt and oil forms the thick, grilled bread, which is then cut open for fillings, such as pork and cheese, or shredded beef, black beans, cheese, and sweet plantain.
Aracelis explains that the Venezuelan cuisine is influenced by Caribbean flavors and ingredients and can easily be adapted to be gluten free, vegetarian, and even vegan. “Venezuelans don’t eat spicy food,’” she explains. “It has natural, healthy ingredients that work together to create a very pleasant flavor.”
The food truck was an outlet for Noris’s need to cook and, of course, a source of income for its hard working operators—which came to a sudden stop when the pandemic cancelled most public events.
As time drew on, the entrepreneurs’ attention came back around to the original idea of a café. “We thought, ‘Why not bring something new to Geneva and see how it goes,’” says Aracelis. ”I love coffee shops, and I know how popular they are.” In a way, the business would fill a gap the young student had felt even when she, as a high schooler, would drive to Albert Lea or Owatonna looking for a comfortable place to enjoy her favorite beverage and devote time to her homework.
“I hope when school starts that people will come in and use it that way,” she adds. The café offers Wifi service and highly visible power outlets, apparently toward that end.
The small building along the main thoroughfare had been standing empty for a few years. The decision was made to acquire it in partnership with Cathy Wayne, who would use part of the building to offer massages, while the remaining space would again be used to serve food. A wall was added to create two separate business areas and the dining area was given a new, somewhat “industrial” look that followed the decor of similar businesses Aracelis was acquainted with from attending college in the Cities.
The year-long project also included the installation of new flooring, decorations, furniture, and kitchen appliances, as well as a high-tech coffee machine to fulfill customers' ardor for lattes, cappuccinos, mochas, cold brew and chai teas.
Aracelis explained the new and improved menu, which includes some “American” and many “Venezuelan” dishes.
“Here we have more of an extensive menu. We have the bowls, we have the salads, breakfast items, coffees. The menu’s way bigger here [than in the food truck].”
One of their most popular menu items are the Cachapas, corn cakes filled with roasted pork and handcrafted cheese, and garnished with cheese, cream cheese, and green salsa. Another popular item is the Cuban sandwich, which includes roasted pork, ham, Swiss cheese, pickle, mayo and mustard on telera bread with a side of fries. Although there are some menu staples, the family enjoys putting new, tempting dishes on the menu for customers to try.
The café has enjoyed brisk business and warm, enthusiastic support. Aracelis, who manages the café’s website, mentions that, in addition to “regulars” who come in frequently enough that she has memorized their orders, there was a traveler from Chicago, who, while driving past, found reviews left online by others and decided to stop by. The same was true of a couple from Missouri who were in the area. Also a pleasant surprise are visits from customers who once supported the food truck, and who have traveled up to 2 hours to sample the café’s wider range of offerings.
As for Noris, it’s nearly impossible to keep up with her as she moves quickly from task to task. She does some of the cooking herself, and also supervises the dozen or so employees as they prepare and serve food. She notes that running a café is, indeed, much more demanding than operating the food truck, and it can sometimes become a bit overwhelming. Still, the pleasure she derives from preparing good food remains fundamental. “I love it,” she says. “I like to see people enjoying my food.”
And when she needs an injection of energy to keep her going, she says she thinks of the people who have said something like, “This is the best thing I’ve ever eaten.”
She says with an unmistakable smile, “That makes me feel like I am doing something really worthwhile.”
Not forgetting the original concern that owning a cafe would be extremely demanding, Noris Cuisine is open Wednesday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., with breakfast available until 11 a.m. Hours on Sunday are from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.