LONDONDERRY, NH – Carmel O’Shea celebrated the grand opening of O’Shea’s Caife and Tae on May 3, 2018. O’Shea hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony with her staff, along with the Greater Derry Londonderry Chamber of Commerce, and the community. O’Shea’s finds its home at 44 Nashua Road in Londonderry.
O’Shea’s Caife and Tae takes pride in celebrating the Derry/Londonderry community’s Irish roots, says O’Shea.
“My mother was from Ireland and the history of the town [Londonderry] it was founded by the Irish. I felt there was a good synergy between my own background and the history of the town. My husband is also Irish, which is where O’Shea comes from,” she says.
Planning the interior design of the cafe took a great amount of hard work and energy, says O’Shea. She put her heart and soul in developing an environment reminiscent of the taverns found in Ireland. She says she really wants her cafe to be about the atmosphere, and to have a welcoming feel.
“About six months of planning and design went into this. I love that piece of it. I have always enjoyed design and I knew I wanted dark woods with little stools and a bar so we can work and talk to people at the same time-to bring that community feel. If people want to meet with friends, there’s space for that and we have a cozy little lounge area here,” says O’Shea
The menu at O’Shea’s offers house blends and organic, fair trade teas and coffee. Some highlights of the menu include nitro and cold brew coffees, pastries, scones, quiches, bagels, and of course, smoothie bowls! Smoothie bowls have become an increasing trend. O’Shea says she feels that people will love their homemade smoothie bowls for their color, all natural ingredients and dairy-free alternatives. Agave and honey are common additions to the smoothie bowls, adding a healthy and sweet twist.
Wrapping up our chat, I asked O’Shea to tell the people of Londonderry what she wants them to know the most about her cafe:
“The most important thing would be our tagline, which is ‘enter as strangers, leave as friends’. I want this to be a place where everyone feels welcome to come whether to work, meet with friends or chat with us!,” she says.
Check out the official website for O’Shea’s Caife and Tae, 44 Nashua Road in Londonderry (just off Exit 4 on I-93), or follow them on Facebook! Hours of operation: 7 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Friday and 7 a.m.- 2 p.m. on weekends.
