The café opened 10 years ago - on 12/12/12, and closed in the summer of 2015. If you weren’t here last year, New World Café Day is a holiday I made up to celebrate how far we’ve all come.

I was the co-owner, chef & recipe developer, and I worked in the restaurant daily, among many other things outside our open hours. I was under such intense stress at the restaurant and outside of it that I look back and feel it’s a miracle I could get out of bed. I could feel how loved the restaurant was, but I couldn’t recognize the impact it was making. I was in survival mode.

When we closed, I didn’t think I would ever cook for anyone again. I struggled with a lot of mental and physical pain. I thought everything was wrong with me. I spent a lot of time alone. And I found space for self-love within loneliness. I learned to honor my compassion, sensitivity, resilience, and creativity that allow me to run a business from my heart.  I learned to send love to who I had been, so that I could begin to move forward.

On our last day open, one of our regulars said to me, “I hope you know how talented you are.” I genuinely didn’t at the time. And when I relaunched this business as the sole owner five years later, I still didn’t. But I kept going until I started to believe, because I felt driven beyond explanation. I knew this was what I was supposed to be doing. I know I’m here to create something totally new. And that will be even more apparent as NWK evolves beyond the current business model.

This is a reminder that you’re creating your life - you can do what you want, in exactly your own way. You can stop and start over - today, if you want.  It isn’t easy, but you can create new habits. You don’t have to just be the way you’ve always been.  

Your annual reminder that there’s a story behind every person & every business - be curious & be kind to the people behind the counter. I hope you’ll reflect & celebrate how far you’ve come over the last decade - or even the last year (what a year 🤯) - along with me.

- ❤️ Madeline