Café Aquí blooms in the pandemic

(ABC 6 NEWS) – Many businesses have closed in our area because of the pandemic, but one, is now finding new life by opening its doors in a unique way.

Shawn and Michelle Fagan have always had a dream of opening up a coffee shop here in Downtown Rochester, and now their dream has grown at Sargent’s on 2nd.

"You can beat this location, this vibe, this feeling," Shawn Fagan, co-owner of Café Aquí said.

Sargent’s on 2nd is known for its beautiful flowers. They’re everywhere you look.

But through the front doors is a business that is blooming, thanks to the help of Nick Sargent, Owner of Sargent’s.

He got the idea to combine food and flowers from a trip he took to Vancouver.

"They have a Grandville Island Market, which is a big public market, where they’re super lively, hip, and young, and in my mind, I’m thinking Rochester needs something like this," Sargent said.

"I love the opportunity where people can gather around a table and connect," Shawn Fagan said.

And that’s what they’re doing.

But it took a lot of work to make this dream a reality. Michelle Fagan says starting a new business during the pandemic is tough, but she’s glad she took the risk.

"People are coming out of the pandemic, we’re longing for connection. So we wanted to create a space that just fostered that. Take the chance if you know you have a great idea, I mean, you can do it," Michelle Fagan said.

And all of their hard work is paying off.

"Just to be surrounded by all of this is spectacular and it’s just an excellent place to create those connections," Michelle Fagan said.

Michelle and Shawn Fagan chased their dreams while also taking risks at the same time, and they’re hoping that while we’re nearing the end of this pandemic, that other business owners if they’re looking for a fresh start, do the same.