New Business / July 2005
Cafenated
By Pat Lawrence
At Marietta’s new coffee shop and cafe, Cafénated, owners Monica Barrett and Jane Lea Bayne warn that the menu is subject to frequent, delicious change. Cafénated offers a variety of hot,cold and frozen coffees, along with smoothies and Italian sodas, plus light lunches and serious sweets.
Monica is the desert specialist and chief baker. Jane Lea is responsible for “the savory side- wraps, sandwiches and soups.” The two sisters had talked about opening a business for years, but talk turned to reality April 15, 2005.
B.C., (before Cafénated), Monica was a registered nurse at Marietta Memorial’s Pediatric ICU who indulged her passion for baking after long evening shifts. Friends and acquaintances who had been introduced to her creations often asked Monica to make cakes for their special events. She says, “Even in high school, I was interested in baking. My grandmother was a wonderful cook who liked to try things and so was my mother. I’ve been making cakes for weddings and birthdays for thirty years.” She went to New York to learn the specialized techniques required to make elegantly realistic flowers for decorating
cakes. “Each petal is hand created, on an individual stem, then painted with non toxic chalks.” For her parents’ 50th anniversary cake, she made orchids.
Despite a career that started in x-ray technology and ended in pediatric nursing, Monica says, “I’ve wanted to have a bakery since I was a little girl. After twenty years in the medical field, it was time to take the step.”
Jane Lea had been away from the family for twenty two years, following a career in advertising and marketing that led her from Miami University in Ohio to Atlanta, Boston and finally, Washington, D.C.. But, she says, “When my husband and I decided to adopt a Chinese child, I was drawn to come home. We wanted our baby girl to have family ties and roots. And, grow up in an environment that wasn’t so urban.” Fortunately, Jane Lea’s husband, raised in Spain, liked Marietta, too.
With Jane Lea’s return, the two sisters joined forces and began developing a catering clientèle. Their conversations about opening a business went from “Someday” to “tomorrow.” The Front Street location seemed like a perfect spot for the clientèle they had in mind.
Despite its diminutive size, Cafénated has become something of a gathering spot. Monica says, “It’s close and comfortable. We have three different kinds of seating, including a counter area. Women love to come. Young women like to come in for the smoothies and iced chai. Professional or retired women to come for lunch and desert. Everything is fresh, and they appreciate that.”
The morning specialty is a variety of scones, like chocolate walnut or cream and currant, but sweets, and six kinds of biscostti,
are served all day. Popular confections
include lemon yogurt cake, individual chocolate pecan tarts with whipped cream and chocolate Truffle cheesecake. Jane Lea says, “Monica is an artist who loves chocolate, sugar and rolled fondant.”
Previous clients know to request Monica’s sculpture cakes for their special occasion. The unusual, custom cakes are three dimensional presentations, “of almost anything. A cat, a gold bag, a set of books, a castle.” The price ranges from $35 -$200, depending on the difficulty of the sculpture. She says, “I sketch it out, then figure out how to construct it.” Because of their varying shapes and sizes, the cakes must be supported inside with dowels.
Though Cafénated has been in business less than three months, there are plenty of satisfied clients helping get the word out about the business. Graduation brought several new catering clients, and a wedding reception is already scheduled.
Cafénated is open from 8 am to 4:30, Monday through Thursday and on Saturdays. On Sundays, they open from 9-2. Since Friday evenings often bring special activities downtown Cafénated welcomes evening visitors
until 8pm. Monica comes in early to bake, which makes Friday a long day,but, that’s alright, she says.“I always wanted to do this, we wanted to do this together and now, we are doing just what we always wanted. We just hope people think of us when they want delicious sweets worth the indulgence and catering that they will remember.”
For more information, call 740-373- 9080 or email: haveacup@Cafenated.com.
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