The Shoppes at Hallam is getting a boost in traffic from two new eateries that are almost next door to each other:
- Sabrina’s Delicacies at 4610 Cleveland Heights Blvd. is opening today. The charcuterie cafe will be open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Pour Bear Coffee at 4608 Cleveland Heights Blvd. opened on April 20. The coffee shop’s hours are Monday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m..
Sabrina’s Delicacies
The owner of Sabrina’s Delicacies, Sabrina Lopez, 26, was born in New York City. Her family moved to Lakeland when she was four years old, after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
A Disney fanatic who got her start catering for Disney clientele, she said she’s more nervous than excited about the opening of her new endeavor.
“Unbelievably, Sabrina’s Delicacies evolved from a college project,” she said. “This store is my baby and I want to see it thrive, evolve with the times, and become a special place in the hearts of the Lakeland community.”
What it offers: Sabrina’s Delicacies offers charcuterie and dessert boards in a variety of sizes, as well as small plates. For the latter, she says “think tapas style and melted Brie cheese.”
Lopez said she will have several fresh options packaged to go for customers who are in a hurry for lunch or want to pick up a quick dinner to take home.
“My to-go options will include mini charcuterie and dessert boxes as well as crudites and fruit cups,” she said. “I’m a foodie and love to test and create recipes … There will be specials constantly popping up as I love experimenting.”
Why this location: Lopez said the location’s walk-in-cooler is what sealed the deal. “I got tired of working in a commissary kitchen. If I hadn’t moved into my own space I wouldn’t be able to grow the business.”
But she added that remodeling the cafe took about two years. The previous tenant had been there for over three decades and everything was outdated.
“I’ve installed a new HVAC system, new plumbing, new framing, two new ADA-compliant bathrooms, floors and drywall,” Lopez said. “There was so much to fix. There were days that I was surprised I didn’t need to rebuild the building.”
A dream long in the making: The George Jenkins High School graduate said she has had a passion for opening her own cafe since she was a little girl.
“My mom recently reminded me of a conversation we had years ago while in her car.” Lopez said. “She told me exactly how I wanted my place decorated. It included a lot of flowers.”
“I had forgotten that conversation, but I’m happy to report that Sabrina’s Delicacies has a lot of flowers!” she said. “(My mom) even kept an old assignment of mine from elementary school. It was the usual, “What do you want to be when you grow up” assignment. I had written: Chef. I even drew myself in a kitchen wearing an apron!”
The Disney connection: Lopez got her start in the charcuterie board business when she participated in the Disney College Program as a cast member.
After graduating from Saint Leo University in 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in hospitality, Lopez began to create her own charcuterie boards stacked with in-season ingredients and deliver them to Disney resorts. Her business was featured in the Disney Food Blog in 2021.
“I fell in love with these small take-out charcuterie boxes that Disney was selling at my quick-service location,” Lopez said.
She still delivers to Disney resorts, but said she had to put it on a schedule because she “can’t be two places at once.” Disney orders are now Tuesday through Friday from 1:30 to 5:30 p.m.
Why now: Lopez felt now was the perfect time to open a cafe because she believes it’s filling a void.
“Lakeland is full of amazing small businesses, but it is missing an artisanal cafe that specializes in curating charcuterie and artisan cheese boards,” she said. “In the past, I’ve been told that you need to venture out of Lakeland to find this type of food. My place is very vibrant and you can call it feminine; I just call it special.”
But she said starting a business from the ground up has been challenging.
Not one easy day: “Since starting this business in 2020 as a senior in college, there has not been one completely easy day. Every day has brought a challenge; I have lived and breathed Sabrina’s Delicacies for a few years now,” she said. “I have had to learn patience the hard way, but it has been very worth it. I have given this business my all and I hope that my love for it and my customers comes across clearly.”
On the horizon: Lopez said she has thought about offering charcuterie classes, but that will probably come at a later date.
Pour Bear Coffee
Meanwhile, two doors down with a small sign posted near the road, Pour Bear Coffee has been building a following over the past month. It is owned by three partners including Robert “Robb” Winters, 40, of Lake Wales, who runs the day-to-day operations.
What it offers: Winters said the shop has seen steady traffic in the weeks since opening, serving coffee from suppliers Kaldi’s Coffee and Sweetwater Organic Coffee, out of Gainesville. A customer favorite is the Honey Bear latte. The shop also offers baked goods from Meraki Bakehouse and Bandidas Bake Shop.
This is Winters’ first entrepreneurial endeavor and he called it a humbling experience.
“It’s a scary leap of faith to leave a secure job and to start your own thing because you can’t really anticipate,” he said. “It’s very scary but I feel very blessed because of the amount of support we’ve received.”
Why this location: A former home inspection technician for an insurance company, Winters said he used to drive all over the state with one of his business partners. They would always look for good coffee along the way.
“My business partner’s mother used to run a coffee shop … We used to always try to find good fresh-roasted beans,” he said. “When we found this spot, we knew this spot could work. If it was somewhere else, I don’t know if I would have done it.”
The location is surrounded by homes, daycare centers and schools. The closest Starbucks is in the Lake Miriam Plaza, about a mile and a half away, and the closest Dunkin’ Donuts is located on East County Road 540A, about four miles away.
“There’s a good amount of coffee shops already downtown,” Winters explained. “This spot just seemed right. I think the location was the trigger.”
The vibe: On a random weekday morning, you’ll find senior citizens inside chatting about the latest news and moms talking to each other while corralling their little ones. The vibe inside feels more like a living room than a coffee shop, with vintage couches and furniture, antiques spread throughout and chess and checkers games ready for players.
It took about a year and half of renovations before Pour Bear Coffee was able to open. Winters said his business partner’s wife handled the decor, finding the items at estate sales and antique shops.
“It was one of the hardest things I’ve done,” Winters explained. “We did a lot of the work ourselves in the shop … working weekends and still working my previous job at the time. The renovations. Contractors and engineers. The city. Inspections. The state. There’s a lot that goes into it. More than you can imagine.”
Gratitude to the Lakeland community: “I’ve really felt the love and support these past couple weeks from the community. This plaza does very well, I would say. Tea Largo is probably the big boy on the block and pulls a lot of people,” Winters said “There’s definitely a good amount of traffic through this plaza — especially on the weekends.”
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