This new cafe is located at 101 Mason Street, directly behind The Clothing Company and across from Revolution Bikes. Read on to learn more about this exciting new business from owner Jesse Meria!
Space/Vibe: Cafe Meria is a vibrant and airy space. It is a casual and cozy cafe, where people can actually be comfortable coming in and hanging out. It’s like a bar located downtown but for everyone.
A space the entire community can use.
Premium & Specialty drinks - At Cafe Meria, we serve specialty drinks using the best quality ingredients. Taking inspiration from drinks and treats worldwide, Cafe Meria finds the best ingredients and curates a menu that is a mashup of cultures to share with everyone. Our coffee is high-quality coffee from small-scale farmers. Every cup is meticulously crafted with special attention to detail.
For our tea drinks, we serve USDA Organic, Kosher Certified, loose-leaf teas. In addition, our Matcha is made from Single-origin, pesticide-free Ceremonial grade matcha, which is the highest quality grade of matcha; therefore tends to have more health benefits due to higher amounts of chlorophyll and L-Theanine.
What sets Cafe Meria apart from others?
Cafe Meria is a casual public space with a wide variety of drinks, sweets, and food options; Where you can meet people and just enjoy life. The cafe is like a living room for downtown; a casual space where anyone can be comfortable coming in and enjoying some mouthwatering food, drinks, and great company.
Cafe culture is the future. Cafes are something that there will never be too many of. Each one has its own character, and unique qualities, providing communities with usable space, and unique food and drinks.
What unique offerings can be found at Cafe Meria?
Most important is this vibrant space, where we can just enjoy the moment; Coffee culture calls cafes the “third place.” You have a home, your workplace, and then the cafe; Cafe Meria truly was created with that in mind.
The minimal design of the physical space is intentional for transparency and great energy. The lighting was designed in a way that we can really manipulate the mood for any occasion, and also provide some nice bright light for an indoor oasis during the cold and shorter days. The entire kitchen area is out in the open with the guests. We really want to have this environment where we can share energy; you can see what you’re ordering be made right in front of you, and we can have great conversations and relationships with guests.
Beyond the space, there’s really special attention given to the details of each offering. Our coffee roaster is a Certified B corp. Many of the raw ingredients are organic and/or fair trade certified. The superfood lattes and whole fruit smoothies are curated for flavor and nutrition. This is life, and this place is really meant to feed your mind, body, and soul in every way.
While we have several offerings, our #1 priority is high-quality coffee and espresso drinks. Coffee is as dynamic as wine; There are many different flavor profiles in the beans, depending on their origin, level of roast, and brewing method. When you start to pay attention to the details of your coffee, it opens a new world of flavorful opportunities. We will definitely be hosting some coffee-tasting sessions, as well as barista competitions.
Celebrating and sharing multiple cultures is important for us. There are always new recipes/flavors to try and we look forward to continually developing our offerings. There are amazing foods and drinks around the world, and we hope to be a place where you might discover something new to love. Things like bubble tea are super popular in big cities, but rare to find in NOMI. Bubble tea is something that newcomers don’t really understand at first, but once they do, it’s so delicious and there are so many different flavors to choose from.
Cafe Meria as a Workplace
Cafe Meria is also a cafe University. We look to hire people who are kind, life-long learners. We hope to teach as much as we learn. We don’t really believe in the employee/employer relationship. We are equals. We just hope to help employees to go on the path that they choose. Whether they’re looking for flexible work, temporary work, or long-term. Cafes are unique in that they’re fun, desirable places to work, and the training process is not so difficult. There’s a place for anyone who wants to be a part of this.
One thing that I think makes cafes important for society is that the employees can be transient, making it super easy for people to not be tied down to any one location.
We believe in allowing life to be flexible, and we also pay super well and teach those who work with us everything we know so that they’re always going to walk away with more than what they come in with. Our work environment should be just as enjoyable while we’re working as it is for our guests to enjoy. This is life, and if we must work, it must be worthwhile.
What is one of your favorite customer testimonials your business has received?
A local stepped in for the first time and they just stood there smiling in awe, and said that it felt like they went to another world, and felt such good, happy vibes.
Does your business participate in any partnerships with other local businesses (cross-promotion, sourcing local ingredients, etc.)?
Northern Michigan has an abundance of nutrient-rich, well-taken advantage of farmland. There are vast resources for high-quality ingredients, such as cherries from the actual cherry capital of the world, maple syrup, and honey, and we look forward to continuing to incorporate more local ingredients as they become available. If you’re a local farmer please connect with us.
Why did you choose to own a business in downtown Charlevoix?
Charlevoix is one of the most beautiful destinations in the world. Beyond being surrounded by lakes and beaches, with perfect mid 70’s almost all summer long; the city of Charlevoix management is really at the heart of what makes it special. The amount of work that they do to keep the city bustling, with a calendar filled with events, and a maintenance crew that keeps it clean is simply unmatched.
To have the opportunity to build a business here is a pure privilege. There’s no place on Earth that can beat the Charlevoix summer fresh air, and clear water beaches - conversely - the Autumn colors are amazing, and you can’t beat being surrounded by several world-class ski resorts in the Winter.
How has Charlevoix DDA been valuable to your business?
We absolutely wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for being connected to the Charlevoix DDA. This project was intense, and the support that Lindsey Dotson has provided has been incredible. Having the DDA apply and help us receive a Match-on-Main grant was one of the reasons that we could even pursue this business due to the amount of construction work that had to be done in order to make it happen. Lindsey has had our back from the day we met her and answers our questions whenever we have them. I can’t imagine building a business in a city that doesn’t have someone like Lindsey, and an organization like the DDA to help businesses.
Stay Connected:
Website URL: cafemeria.com
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/cafemeria
Instagram: @cafe.meria
Online ordering? Yes
Loyalty program? Yes
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