Side of Sass at Maria’s Café

Maria Solano, the owner and operator of Maria’s Café, doesn’t want to be interviewed.

Or photographed.

Or interrupted as she goes about serving customers in her coffee shop and bread shop located adjacent to one another on Main Street in Chester Borough. But she does want to get the word out about how wonderful the people of Chester and those in the surrounding communities have been to her since she opened her doors last year.

In this case the word was given in between filling bowls of soup, slicing bread and bagging up bottles of olive oil.

“Its great but it is a lot of work,” Solano said. “You have to be driven each and every day to come up with creative ideas. But, if its going to put a smile on a customers face then it is worth it.”

Solano thought it was worth it to invest in an ad, thanking residents for their patronage during Hurricane Sandy when her shop was one of the few with power. And she thanks many who come in to the store with a free glass of wine as they gnosh.

“We love it here. It is a nice escape for us,” said Jovanka Estevez.

Estevez and her husband Frank try to get to Maria’s whenever they can.

“Love the atmosphere, the food,” Frank Estevez said. “Maria is funny, especially after a couple glasses of wine. She has a great sense of humor.”

Solano originally owned a café in Long Valley, but has since closed shop to focus on the Chester location.

“I had to consolidate as a business choice,” Solano said. “ I loved the place in Long Valley, and we had fun. But because I live in Chester and my kids go to school, it was a good move.”

The Chester café serves breakfast items, pastries and coffee in the morning and soups, salads and sandwiches around lunchtime and stocks authentic Italian sauces and other items. The goal, according to  Solano, is that Maria’s will become a one-stop shop for anyone seeking fresh, high-quality Italian ingredients for a reasonable price.

“We spend a little extra time here putting together our menu. To bake and to come up with different soups you need to spend a little time,” Solano said.

Solano said her shops are very much “what you see is what you get ” and she is not afraid to give advice “straight up.” One customer in particular was treated to a pitch on her olive oil for sale.

“Its good for your face, your feet your hair… your salad,” Solano said. “The neighborhood cats will follow you around, but you’ll look good while they follow you.”