I actually feel sick to my stomach. Could it be the anxiousness or excitement to come? Maybe it’s both that’s really making it a struggle to form adequate words to express the endless thoughts racing through my mind. In less than eloquent words, I’ll try my best to share this exciting news.
They say we’re often lost in life until we really figure out what our passion is. From that passion, happiness ensues and honestly, that’s the light we’re all searching for.
Beginning mid- Nov 2019, we have searched endlessly for a place we could call home for our cafe, Phinista. From JP to Southie, we knew we wanted to stay close to Boston because it’s where my fiancee and I had first met. Boston is where our love grew and flourished and was the place where we knew we wanted to be rooted in. Months drifted by and by the grace of God, we found a listing for an amazing cafe.
It was Mid- Feb 2020, when we first met and talked to Betsy, the owner and the local best friend from Neighborhood’s Cafe. After viewing countless locations, we finally found a place that we felt love, warmth, and an incredible sense of community.
Although unexpectedly, COVID-19 emerged and erupted in the States, with Boston, then, being a hotspot. It was at that point where the rollercoaster started. But among the chaos and uncertainty, I believe in my heart that God had a plan for us. Was purchasing a cafe in the middle of a pandemic a financially great idea? Most likely not. But for the first time, I found out that happiness could be more than an abstract thing. More than a feeling, it was a place, and that place was Neighborhood’s Cafe.
We were so blessed that God led us to Betsy, and Betsy to us. He knew that it was the right time for her to be with her family, and it was right time for us to carry on her legacy in the heart of Fenway.
On August 1st, Neighborhood’s Cafe will begin it’s transition into becoming Phinista Cafe. There will be changes in the concept and menu, but the community, the heart and soul of Fenway, will always remain and flourish.
As Betsy has built the foundation thereof, I am reminded by a quote of which has always been my philosophy in life: There Are No Strangers Here; Only Friends You Haven’t Yet Met.
I’m excited to share that Phinista is ready to be that place, we’ll see you soon Fenway!
