SPONSORED CONTENT
DINING OUT
SPONSORED CONTENT
I
f Rt. 65 is your daily commute, you already know that any excuse
to get out of traffic for a few minutes of peace is a welcome thing.
Fortunately, California Coffee Bar offers that peace, as well as an
alternative to waiting for lights to change on the boulevard.
“We’re a new business and we’re not just traditional coffee,” says
Sarah Mendak, who co-owns California Coffee Bar with Susie Lobdell.
“We offer Nitro Coffee, light breakfasts, light lunches and a tea latte bar.
We have high tea every afternoon and healthier options for people on
the go.”
In fact, California Coffee Bar has a bar for just about everything
inside: an oatmeal bar that features a variety of steel-cut oats and
toppings and a yogurt bar comprised of an assortment of Greek
yogurts. You can also get all-natural smoothies and fill a glass with
some of the many raw juices that are juiced fresh every single day. It
has daily homemade soups as well.
“We have things like a yogurt and granola bowl, chia pudding…
food options you can’t really get anywhere else in Pittsburgh,” Mendak
notes.
And, if you’re just the kind of person who wants your morning
coffee and bagel to go, California Coffee Bar has you covered with a
12-oz. Drip coffee and bagel with any topping you want for $2.50. A
loyalty program means that every 10 visits earn you a free drink of your
choosing.
Mendak adds that California Coffee’s location also makes it
extremely convenient for commuters, giving them an alternative to
Ohio River Boulevard that can beat some traffic.
“It’s amazing how quickly you can get off at Brighton Heights and
be on your way, or avoid construction and head down California
A venue instead of waiting in traffic,” she explains. “But we live in the
neighborhood, so it may not be something that every commuter’s
familiar with.”
If Mendak sounds like a local, that’s because she and Lobdell opened
California Coffee Bar in their own neighborhood.
“It was previously a coffee shop about two years ago, but closed
down,” she says. “I used to go there on a daily basis and it left a void for
me. Susie’s always wanted to open a restaurant—that’s been a passion
and dream of hers. So we opened this up to provide a resource to the
community, and the community, in turn, has been really supportive.
We have a lot of repeat customers who really enjoy the space.”
That space includes seating for 35 people, ample street parking, a
rotating gallery of artists’ work adorning the walls and live events such
as a June Adopt-a-thon for local animal shelters and poetry readings.
There’s a lot to put on the calendar with California Coffee Bar, despite it
only being open for a few months.
To enjoy your next cup of coffee or tea at California Coffee Bar, check
it out at 3619 California Avenue, right off of Rt. 65. Go to the website at
californiacoffeebarpgh.com to see all it has to offer and don’t forget to
find the shop on Facebook. You can also call at 412.766.0444.
Sewickley | Summer 2017 | icmags.com 31