EASTON, Pa. – A new cozy spot for homemade sweet and savory pastries, specialty coffee and tea and other tasty options will welcome guests beginning this weekend in Northampton County.
Vera Cafe, a family-run café offering a wide array of hand-crafted food and drinks, will hold a soft opening at 9 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 17, at 237 Ferry St. in downtown Easton.
Vera Cafe is located at 237 Ferry St. in downtown Easton. The cafe will offer specialty drinks such as Turkish coffee.
Ryan Kneller
The cafe is tentatively set to operate 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays, co-owner Eren Bala told 69 News.
Bala, an Easton native, is operating the cafe with his wife, Grace Bala, and other family members including his cousin, BJ Gumus.
The Balas have been operating a catering business, Sunay Days, for around three years and saw an opportunity to further serve the Lehigh Valley area community with a brick-and-mortar cafe.
The catering business is named after Eren’s mother, Sunay, while the cafe is named after the Balas’ daughter, Vera.
Vera Cafe is located at 237 Ferry St. in downtown Easton.
Ryan Kneller
“We wanted to expand with a brick-and-mortar location that will serve as our homebase,” Eren said.
“We come from a culture that focuses on hospitality, and we love to give and take care of people. So, that’s what we’ll be doing here. Vera Cafe will be a very homey and welcoming space.”
Eren and his family have a Turkish background, and the cafe will showcase authentic Turkish coffee and tea along with homemade Turkish food.
During its initial soft-opening period, the cafe will have a limited menu, with more offerings to be introduced in the coming weeks.
Menu highlights will include homemade borek, savory pastries filled with ingredients like cheese and minced meat, as well as Turkish bagels, Turkish grilled cheese, a Bosnian meatball sandwich, lutenitsa sandwich and braised meat wrap, Eren said.
Vera Cafe is located at 237 Ferry St. in downtown Easton.
Ryan Kneller
“We’re also going to have homemade baklava made by Sunay, my mom, in addition to classic homemade Turkish desserts,” Eren added.
Turkish coffee will be served with a Turkish delight, and guests also will be able to enjoy cappuccino, lattes and other espresso beverages.
Vera Cafe is sourcing coffee from Allentown-based Mad Catter Coffee Roasters, and the cafe will likely introduce a special blend made specifically for Vera Cafe, Eren said.
Guests will be able to customize their drink orders with a variety of milk and syrup options.
Vera Cafe occupies a renovated building between 3rd & Ferry Fish Market and Albanesi Restaurant & Bar.
Vera Cafe is located at 237 Ferry St. in downtown Easton.
Ryan Kneller
Chef Rafael Palomino, who operates the nearby Mesa Modern Mexican restaurant, owns the 237 Ferry St. property and was originally planning to join forces with partners to open a different cafe concept, Café Con Leche, at the site, but those plans changed, Eren said.
Vera Cafe will feature seating for eight guests at tables and a window counter, and seasonal outdoor dining areas will offer seating for around 40 more.
Eren labels himself a “big coffee lover” and views coffee as a social experience, finding truth in a well-known Turkish saying, “one cup of coffee shared is remembered for 40 years.”
At Vera Cafe, he’s excited to serve his local community while also honoring his family.
Vera Cafe is located at 237 Ferry St. in downtown Easton.
Ryan Kneller
“A son of immigrants who’s a famous movie producer in Hollywood once mentioned in an interview that his parents were entrepreneurs who ran a restaurant, and the impetus for them opening the restaurant was for them to make sure that he would never be homeless, he would never be hungry and he could have the freedom to explore and do whatever he wanted,” Eren said.
“Vera is the name of our first child, and I want that to be the case for her as well. I want her to be able to explore and find her creative passions – whatever those may be.”