Dawn Fletcher took swift action when she learned of Nature’s Best Cafe’s impending closure last November. She launched a GoFundMe campaign, generating over $5,000, crafted promotional magnets, and distributed more than a thousand letters in the community. Neighbors offered additional support. One individual provided marketing expertise, while another surveyed customers.
Despite these efforts, rising food costs led to the cafe announcing its closure on July 31 via social media. “We held bingo and trivia nights and organized various events,” explained Evonne Cruz, co-owner of Nature’s Best Cafe. “We’ve also been doing catering, but maintaining the business became unsustainable, and we’re still in the red.”
The cafe, located at 1904 Brookdale Road off Route 59, opened a decade ago at a strip mall. Evonne’s husband, Simitrio, had a background in the food industry and aspired to operate a restaurant focused on healthy, gluten-free options. The menu was inspired by the gluten allergies of his wife and two of their three children.
The cafe expanded its offerings over time, providing hand-tossed pizzas, sandwiches, and salads. Every dish was made from scratch, with a commitment to sourcing local ingredients, although this approach came with increased costs. “Nothing has gotten cheaper. Food costs are skyrocketing,” Cruz remarked, mentioning that even basic ingredients, such as meats and vegetables, saw price hikes. At one point, tomatoes became prohibitively expensive.
Cruz continued, “We really boosted our catering business, which helped cover expenses. We needed steady, regular customer traffic in the cafe.” Despite neighborhood support and enhanced social media activity, customer numbers declined steadily.
Cruz couldn’t pinpoint a single cause but suspected the economic climate played a role. “Evenings showed the biggest drop, yet year-over-year, numbers have declined,” she said, noting that the cafe hosted evening events and increased its social media presence.
“It’s difficult to close this chapter. Our children worked here, along with neighborhood kids. We watched them grow up, get their driver’s licenses, and start college,” Cruz shared. “Simitrio worked tirelessly, putting in long days and weeks. It’s challenging for him to move on.”
Dawn Fletcher found it difficult to say goodbye. She had supported the cafe during the COVID-19 pandemic, observing Simitrio juggle an additional night job with the cafe. “Simitrio was my youngest daughter’s first employer. To her, he feels like family,” Fletcher expressed. “Every young person should have such a patient, considerate boss as their first workplace experience.”
Fletcher will keep the GoFundMe page open to assist Simitrio’s transition.