Matcha, books and charm bracelets are in season this fall.
Honey Cafe had its grand opening Oct. 17, presenting Oregon State University students and Corvallis with a new spot on Monroe Avenue.
This location was previously known as Gossip Boutique, the sister of Honey Gurl Boutique.
Business owner Khanda Cordeiro said, “The idea of having a shopping experience and a cute little place to go grab a coffee sounds like a lot of fun.”
Cordeiro and the Honey Gurl team only had two months to put together the cafe.
During training, a lot of experimentation was done to get the matcha right. All employees have their food handlers’ licenses and are trained to handle food and beverages safely.
Elise Montgomery was a loyal customer of Honey Gurl and got hired over the summer to work at Honey Cafe.
Montgomery said, “I’m definitely someone who loves matcha, so I wanted to make sure we really got it right.”
The cafe not only has matcha on its menu, but also dirty sodas, which is a drink that consists of soda with cream and flavored syrup.
Corynn Sherrell, the head manager at Honey Gurl Boutique said, “We’re specializing in a bunch of drinks that not all coffee shops have.”
The cafe also has an assortment of pastries for sale. Open every day from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., students can incorporate the cafe into their daily routine to get a bite to eat and have a space to study.
Chloe Montigue, an employee at Honey Cafe, reflects on how she wants to see friendships being made and where the cafe can be a space for groups of girls to come in and do the charm bar together — a space where customers can get together and create small crafts like charm necklaces.
“Anybody can come in and come get a little sweet treat,” Montique said.
Honey Cafe has a book selection for customers to browse, providing books of different genres, from romance to thriller novels.
In the future, Sherell sees them expanding the drink menu and selling more pastries. She would also like to expand the book selection.
“We have a good amount of books, but there’s definitely more I would love to see, especially as an avid reader,” Sherell said.
The feedback Cordiero and the team have received has all been positive so far, especially towards their signature matcha drink.
Sherell said, “We’re getting girls who are like, ‘I didn’t even like matcha and then I tried this one and I loved it.’”
Montgomery emphasizes how the store is a community that builds friendships with its customers. “There’s a difference between the interactions that I have here and other places that I’ve worked. It feels a lot more personable,” she said.
For more information on Honey Cafe, go to their Instagram: @honeymatchacafe_