MANCHESTER, NH – It’s been just over nine years since Alex Horton launched Café la Reine, a small but mighty coffee shop that has made a huge imprint on the downtown ﹣and not just for its ever-evolving vibe, which is equal parts cool, caffeinated and eco-friendly.
Horton has made it her business these nine years to connect and collaborate by bringing together the people and things she loves under one tiny roof. But she’s ready for more, hence the recent announcement via social media that she’s expanding her horizons with a second coffee-centric eatery: Café la Reine – North End.
Sort of the same but completely different.
Last week Horton signed a lease for the former Blake’s Restaurant at 53 Hooksett Road along with Dominique Gibson, general manager at the Elm Street cafe. Gibson is in charge of nesting at the new space, which will be a full-service restaurant focused on brunch and lunch, a full bar including brunch cocktails, and the same coffee, espresso, and tea menu featured at their downtown location, which isn’t going anywhere.
They plan to open in August.
“Dominique and I were talking about expanding into a food truck or something else. We’re limited here with 1,000 square feet and these four walls,” says Horton of the cafe she opened in 2013.
Horton says like so many others who live in the North End, she had frequented Blake’s over the years, a popular restaurant and ice cream parlor in that location for nearly 40 years. It closed in January of 2021, but the owners continue to do business at their flagship restaurant and creamery on South Main Street.
When Horton saw the Hooksett Road location closed she started watching the space.
And when it became available she seized the day.
With triple the size of her Elm Street cafe and 140-seat capacity, Horton and Gibson have more room to dream. Although they aren’t ready to reveal all their big ideas just yet, Horton says the restaurant will elevate the brand and create an alternative space for more things like the popular live music Java Jams, an expanded menu and cocktails.
“The vibe will be a little more retro. We’re keeping the bar and the booths, and if you remember the barstools, they’re this retro green. We’re keeping the integrity of the previous space but we’ll be jazzing it up,” Horton says. “Mainly we hope you get the same feeling when you walk in, that it’s a welcoming, fun place.”
In addition to an elevated brunch experience, Horton says to look for more of their signature vegan, gluten-free and nut-free options.
“We all have tons of allergies these days, so we want it to be a place everyone can enjoy – even if you’re not eating gluten-free or vegan, we’ll still have eggs and all your gluten-filled favorites, but we’ll be allergy-friendly,” Horton says
Next week they’ll be painting the interior and working on new signage and plant-heavy decor with some help from friends Alexis Clarke and Nicole Rocha of Terracotta Room on Elm Street.
“The place is in good shape, so mostly we are working on decorating,” says Horton. The new neon sign just came in and they’re excited to see how it all shapes up.
Horton is thinking hours will likely be 7 am. to 2 or 3 p.m. during the week, and open until 4 p.m. on weekends, seven days a week.
It all depends.
“We’re going to see how the neighborhood supports it. If they want more hours we might consider being open later, Horton says. “We used to be open here on Elm Street until 8 or 9 p.m. but there wasn’t really the demand for it back then.”
As word has begun to circulate Horton says she’s getting lot of positive energy from friends and North End neighbors, who are ready for something like this to fill the void at the plaza on DW Highway which, she hopes, becomes a permanent and lively anchor.
Horton and Gibson have been working together for five years now and, together, they’ve learned a lot – especially after weathering the challenges of COVID-19 on a very small business reliant on foot traffic.
“I feel like we have the experience now to know whether or not something is going to work. It’s important to hire quality people, and to know what equipment we want and don’t want,” says Horton.
She says they have “tons of help” from many of the partners that have seen them through so far, from Hometown Coffee Roasters, U.S. Foods and Comcast, to Pepsi and the Toast Takeout app.
“It’s a nice feeling to have that support versus when we were first starting out and you don’t know who to call,” Horton says.
So far the hiring process has been going well. Horton will be adding about 15 employees to the payroll.
Teamwork makes the dream work
Gibson started at Cafe la Reine with a background in retail and management.
“This was my first food service job and Alex took a chance on me and here we are,” she says, sharing a knowing look with Horton.
“Now I can’t imagine doing anything different from this,” Gibson adds.
Horton says she’d been through a bunch of managers over the years but can’t imagine taking this giant leap into a full-service restaurant with anyone else.
“Dominique has learned so much over the years and has come into her own with managing. You just lift people up and you know how to empower people to make their own decisions. Now you’re training two managers to take over this place and I have full confidence in your ability,” Horton says. “I can’t wait to see what you do at this new spot.”
Horton said her desire to expand had everything to do with creating opportunities.
“I don’t want people to just work here and feel like this is the end,” she says, turning to look at Gibson. “I recognized the potential in you and I don’t want to stop here. This is me doing more with you.”
Horton also acknowledges that some of the hurdles she’s mounted over the years had to do with being a woman in an industry that is dominated by men, to which Gibson nods in agreement.
“We have a very different management style here and throughout this process, even though I’ve been in business 10 years and Dominque has been here for five, we’re still met with adversity because we’re women,” says Horton.
“And at the same time we’ve had a lot of people advocating for us, and so we’re really grateful to still be here, especially after the hell we’ve been through working week to week, sometimes just wondering if we would make it to next year,” she says.
As they chat about their expansion, several regulars come through. Fascia Berlin, a local artist and frequent flier beat them all to it. She’s been hunkered down for a while now and often greets people as they pass by her perch on the bench seating. As a nomadic coffee-loving artist she’s basically in the midst of a circumstantial residency at Cafe la Reine, and says couldn’t be happier for the two women.
“This place has become my second home. That’s the kind of atmosphere that’s created here,” she says, returning to the business of pencil shading a trio of trees she’s working on. “I’m looking forward to the new home, maybe a little different vibe, but it will be great. Having another venue to go to that is owned by these amazing women is great news. They’re very supportive of other women’s talents,” she says.
“As you can see everybody who comes in is smiling and making connections and feeling comfortable enough to do so,” Berlin says. “It’s like a meet-and-greet business.”
Without dwelling too much on the past – as the future is much more inviting – Horton says she has to give all the credit to Gibson and the rest of her staff for seeing her through to this next chapter.
“They stuck with me even when they didn’t have to, through all the unemployment, putting up a take-out window and adding barriers, wearing masks. They stuck with me and I’m so appreciative,” Horton says. “I’m sorry to bring it back to that because it was crazy times, but it’s the truth.”
She turns toward Gibson, who has been trying to take the compliment without blushing. She has failed.
“I guess it’s official. I’m not leaving,” Gibson says, her cheeks going a slightly deeper shade of red before she adds, smiling, “I’m stuck here.”
