“I’ve always dreamed of opening a café,” she said. “I never thought I would do it though.”
Last month, she and her husband Bob held a grand opening for both their new stores on July 12 – Bob opened his store, the Wild Bird Center in January, and their retail outlets stand side by side.
Crediting her father-in-law for his good business sense, Menikheim said the idea to open a coffee shop next to the Wild Bird Center would hopefully attract people who aren’t necessarily birders.
“So that’s where I came in and I’m running the coffee shop, “Menikheim said of her good fortune. “I’ve never owned a business before…never knew anything about coffee or how to make espresso or anything.” But the former health insurance broker is completely happy. “I wouldn’t want to be doing anything else,” she said.
Family owned and operated
Every once in a while you might see a young blonde boy selling freshly squeezed lemonade outside the front entrance. His name is Carter and the stand – Carter’s Rockin’ Lemonade – is all his.
“I wanted to do it because I was bored every day,” said Bob and Heidi’s son who’s as outgoing as he is cute. “My friends really love it. I do it a lot.”
The café sells lemonade daily, but Carter said, “it’s easier to sell outside because everybody wants coffee inside.”
Their daughter Kali, who attends Chittenango High School, also helps on occasion.
“The whole family is involved,” Menikheim said.
Coffee, Paninis and all that jazz
The coffee served at Bear Creek Coffee Café is always fresh because its manufacturer, Bear Creek, is a micro roaster, Menikheim said. Small batches are shipped from Indiana where Menikheim orders once a week.
“I grind it right before I brew it so that every cup is fresh,” she said. “It really makes a difference.”
The café offers light, medium and dark blends but the most popular among her customers is the Black and Tan, which is 25 percent Colombian coffee and 75 percent Sumatra.
“I think people just like the name,” she said, laughing.
But there’s more to the quaint shop than just coffee. Salads, smoothies and sandwiches bring people back for more.
Heidi’s brother, Jeremy Harris, is a great chef who prepares new sandwiches and soups all the time. A favorite? “Heidi’s sandwich,” of course! The signature Panini includes marinated chicken, roasted red peppers, pesto, fresh spinach and goat cheese on a toasted ciabatta.
“It’s really popular,” she said, also naming the roast beef and Cuban sandwiches as other famous choices. “People love the sandwiches. They are amazing,” she said.
Harris, who wants to add an entertainment component on the weekends, arranged for a live jazz band to play last weekend and featured dinner specials for their patrons. One entrée in particular – trout with blueberry salsa – was delicious, Menikheim exclaimed.
Additionally, Menikheim welcomes local artists a chance to display their work on her walls. Make a point to head in soon – Manlius artist Megan Muldoon, a Cazenovia College student, is currently in the spotlight.
