Coffee @ the Library with Café.com

Dr. Roberto Cruz - Alum Rock Library Opens On-Site Coffee Shop

February 3, 2006 -

Visitors entering San José’s Dr. Roberto Cruz – Alum Rock Library today were greeted with a new, yet familiar, scent: the aroma of freshly roasted espresso coffee beans. Local restaurateur Cristina Pinheiro launched Café.com, a specialty coffee and pastry service, as part of San José Public Library’s pilot program responding to customer requests for on-site refreshment. Pinheiro will draw on experience gained as co-owner and operator with her husband of Café do Canto, a popular neighborhood café serving a menu of traditional Portuguese dishes since 2000. Her reasonably priced menu will offer a full range of coffee and espresso drinks along with a selection of pastries, baked fresh each morning. Bagels, biscotti, sodas, fresh fruit, fruit juices and fruit smoothies will also be available.

"Our goal, as we open each new library facility funded by the November 2000 Branch Development Bond, is to ensure that the experience of visiting the library is memorable,” said San José Public Library Director Jane Light. “We are creating public spaces that go beyond beauty and comfort to encourage people to linger and connect with friends and neighbors."

Students from Marina Dantas’ ESL class were among the first to sample what the café has to offer. The class meets at Cruz-Alum Rock Library Tuesday through Friday, from 8:50 a.m. to noon. “Now I can give them the break they need with confidence that they’ll get back to class on time,” said Dantas, “and on the way to and from the classroom they will see all the books, DVDs, and CDs that the library has and hopefully use the library more, reinforcing what they learn in class.”

Café.com will operate during all library open hours.

For more information, contact:
• Lorraine Oback at (408) 808-2176