Delmendo is now expanding and opening a new café and bakery in Liberty Twp this winter.
Café Zara is expected to open near the start of 2024 at 7125 Liberty Centre Drive.
“It will be one of the few locally owned coffee shops and we will have hand crafted chocolates, cupcakes, small cakes, cheesecake cups, eclairs, croissants,” Delmendo said. “Everything is going to be very glam.”
Delmendo spent time in Rome and was inspired by the cafés and bakeries there.
“I studied abroad in Rome and things that were normal over there were luxury over here in the United States,” Delmendo said. “Cafés with handcrafted drinks, delicious pastries which took a lot of time and effort were common there. I wanted to bring that here to Cincinnati.”
Delmendo named the café after her two year old daughter Zara and says the location will be extremely family friendly.
Beyond the sweet treats and baked goods, the café features a complete mocktail bar.
“It will be alcohol free which is important to me,” Delmendo said. “Often places only offer soda water or Shirley Temples. We’ll have hand-crafted beverages which could be juicy or sparkly.”
Delmendo originally planned to open the location in September but encountered delays with the interior renovation and obtaining permits.
“It will be a complete transformation of the space,” Delmendo said. “It wasn’t fitting my vision aesthetically. The location had the bones, but needed work to be up to code and to fully fit the vision I wanted to bring to the space.”
The plan is for the café to be open 7 days a week from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Delmendo said the location is planning to be open later during the month of Ramadan.
“I love the location,” said Delmendo, a Fairfield resident. “It is close to the mosque and a really great middle ground for a diverse group of people.”
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