Cafe Leon in downtown Dalton offers baked goods, coffee and more
Aug. 6—Felicia Reyes said her father Juan's dream was to one day own his own bakery, something the family had been saving for.
"He was very creative and loved working with leather," she said.
When he died from COVID-19 in November, she said, it was a big blow to the family.
"It was a difficult time for us," she said. "My grandmother died in August of that year. Then my father died. We were really devastated. Having a business was something we all always wanted. But at that time we really just didn't want to do anything."
But that dream was reignited earlier this year, leading to the creation of Cafe Leon at 229 N. Hamilton St. in downtown Dalton, a bakery and coffee and sandwich shop named after the city in Mexico her father was born and raised in.
"My boyfriend and I had gone to pick up some photos at Fast Foto and we were walking back," she said. "When we passed by (229 N. Hamilton St.) we saw a real estate agent here. She mistook us for the people she was waiting for. When she realized we weren't the people she was supposed to meet she said, 'Do you want to see it anyway?' and we said, 'Sure.' The way it was set up was really great for a coffee shop, the bar, the lights. It was really cool."
Reyes, 19, went home and told her family about the location.
"My mom had seen this place online and loved it but thought that it would be way out of our budget," she said. "When she found out it was in our price range, she was really excited."
Cafe Leon opened May 1 and is a true family business. Reyes said her mother Crystal bakes all of the baked goods sold in the store, while her sister cooks and one of her brothers makes coffee and another brother helps in the general operation.
She said one of the things Cafe Leon is becoming known for is its tortas, a type of sandwich originating in Mexico.
"My mom has been making tortas for us since we were tiny," she said. "When we opened up, we were talking about what we should do for lunch, and she said, 'Let's do some tortas.' We have some gluten-free options. We have some vegan options. We want for anyone to be able to come in here and find something they like."
"We've got sweet coffee, non-sweet coffee, strong coffee, not-so-strong coffee, all sorts of milk, something for everyone," she said.
Cafe Leon also sells juices and teas, avocado toast and other items. It serves breakfast each day, with waffle bites, french toast, bagels and croissants on the menu.
Cafe Leon is open Tuesday though Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
