The Coffee Village serves more than a mug of espresso or cups of cold brew.
It is a place to meet with colleagues, for church groups to gather, a location to reconnect with an old friend or a place to do out-of-the-office work.
“I see coffee shops as positive spaces to build community,” said Mimika Garesche, who co-owns The Coffee Village in Sewickley with DCRS Associates, a Pittsburgh-based company that invests in food businesses. “In society today, there is so much loneliness and isolation that we need places to communicate with other people.”
Providing a place to be together is the foundation of The Coffee Village, Garesche said, as she sipped her favorite drink — a flat white, which has espresso shots and steamed milk.
The business began at the end of 2022 when Garesche purchased five locations of Crazy Mocha stores after the company declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
The Sewickley shop is located in the heart of Sewickley Village on Walnut Street. It recently got a makeover with a bright orange awning, new outdoor furniture and interior décor updates. There are garage doors to open when the weather is nice and plenty of seating, from comfortable chairs to two community tables and several smaller tables.
“Sewickley is great,” Garesche said. “It’s such a walkable town and with houses nearby, people don’t have to drive to get to us. We love having a business here.”
The first drive-thru location of The Coffee Village is set to open sometime in January in New Brighton, Beaver County.
The business also has locations in Downtown Pittsburgh on Liberty Avenue in the Cultural District and inside the BNY Building, as well as at Heritage Valley Beaver and the Brighton Wellness Center in Beaver County — all former Crazy Mochas. Garesche lives in Evans City, was born in New York and has lived in Chile and Ecuador. She was also a missionary in Italy, Spain, Mexico and Chile.
A roastery in Harmony, Butler County, also serves as a retail shop to purchase coffee, tea, Rosalind Candies, candles and merchandise.
The company also sells coffee to other local shops.
As the business continues to grow, Garesche said having Ree Mitra, director of operations for the company, keeps everything running smoothly.
“He is a face often seen in Sewickley and is the one who supports the baristas in their day-to-day work,” Garesche said. “Our baristas are our best treasures. We encourage them to use their talents in the shop. We all have gifts — lean into those gifts because they are authentic.”
Employees help create new drinks and design the menu board.
Store lead Madeline Alexander learned American Sign Language before working at The Coffee Village, and she uses that skill as another way to communicate with customers. She said there are times patrons from The Lindsay Theater across the street stop by before or after a movie on open caption Wednesdays, when the theater screens every film with captions.
“I love crafting drinks. It’s a cool job,” Alexander said. “We see a lot of the same faces and know what they like to drink.”
Knowing the customers is what makes a local coffee shop part of the community, said Katie Wethli, coordinator of social media and events for The Coffee Village.
“The ambiance in the Sewickley location allows for easy conversation and many local regulars make the place enjoyable for the employees to work,” Wethli said.
The owners encourage Wethli to explore her creativity, whether planning a new post on the company’s Instagram page or opening the newest seasonal Christmas Coffee Outlet at the roastery. Garesche said Wethli has created a social media following by involving other employees and producing fun and engaging reels from all of the locations. She helps introduce new drinks created by the baristas and also focuses the videos on current events.
For example, she created reels showing drinks inspired by Taylor Swift’s new album “The Life of a Showgirl,” and highlighted a Sabrina Carpenter menu when the singer performed at PPG Paints Arena.
Garesche decided to get into coffee shops with help from her husband and friends who are coffee experts, she said.
They inspired her to study how to make quality coffee.
“There is a science to making coffee,” Garesche said. “And we are always learning.”
One of the cool things about coffee shops is that the drinks are customizable, Garesche said. She said they continuously offer new drinks each month and have added mushroom drinks that don’t taste like mushrooms, she said, but that may give health benefits.
They sell energy drinks, cold brews, loose-leaf teas and decaffeinated options. Coffee is available for purchase in three brands — The Coffee Village, Lady Blue and Crazy Mocha blends.
The Sewickley shop serves fresh-baked scones, beignets and breakfast sandwiches as well as avocado toast.
In the future, Garesche said she wants to host coffee tastings.
She said she welcomes feedback from customers and employees.
“I want to try to make a positive difference,” said Garesche.
“I am sharing God’s love. We hope The Coffee Village is a space for what is good and for bringing people together.”