Crown Cafe remodels, adds lounge

by Martin McConnell

The Crown Cafe on the first floor of the Crown Centre building at 5005 Rockside Rd. reopened Monday, Feb. 21, after two and a half months of renovation and expansion.

Alex and Cheryl Choueiri have owned the Crown Cafe since 1997. After multiple conversations with building owner Robert Milstein, they decided to renovate the cafe and add a lounge.

“We’ve always talked about it with [Milstein], and so it finally just came to fruition,” Cheryl said. “We needed more space, and he always wanted to have a lounge area, and it’s beautiful.”

The expansion is also a welcome change for the cafe’s staff. Manager Elizabeth Lugo has worked at the Crown Cafe for over a decade and loves the new look.

“Back in the day, we had our kitchen in front,” Lugo said. “We had to do the dishes in the front. Now, we have a full-blown kitchen in the back.”

Lugo said she is excited about the renovations and what they could mean for the cafe and its success going forward.

“Now with this new space, right here, the sky’s the limit,” Lugo said. “I feel like I’m working somewhere else. It’s totally different, and in two days, we’ve already got the hang of it.”

The Crown Cafe makes everything in-house and grinds its own coffee beans, which come from Caruso’s Coffee in Brecksville. Alex also noted that the cafe fills catering orders for businesses and events coming into Crown Centre. ∞