Amore Caffe to Debut in Hillcrest this Summer

A brand new coffee shop, Amore Caffe , is preparing to debut at 3801 Fifth Avenue in a busy area of Hillcrest .

The new cafe will move into the former home of Starbucks, which closed last year after a 30-year run, according to SanDiegoVille . Co-owners Rodolfo Salum and Tanya Medina will take over the longstanding corporate coffee space and create a cozy, welcoming mom-and-pop-style coffee shop. The husband and wife duo will have to compete with a handful of chains, such as Peet’s, Dunkin’, and Kona, as well as a few independent cafes.

This will be a massive change for the corner of Fifth and Robinson Avenues, where the Seattle-based coffee chain has been located since 1994. Unfortunately, the company closed this location on June 29 last year due to safety concerns for its customers and employees. In addition to the growing homeless population throughout San Diego and Hillcrest, Starbucks cited additional issues regarding theft and violence. This was the second time the company was forced to close one of its San Diego locations, following the closure of the Starbucks in Ocean Beach for the same reasons.

Now, a new concept is set to move into the longtime Starbucks home, opening in late summer 2024 , according to SanDiegoVille. Customers can expect a variety of high-quality coffee, with premium-quality coffee beans from different regions worldwide. As for food, Amore Cafe will offer breakfast classics, such as pastries, toast, bagels, and crepes, as well as sandwiches and other lunch options. The cafe will also reportedly have a handful of ice cream flavors available. The couple has more than ten years of experience working in the restaurant and coffee business. Hopefully, the issues that pushed out the previous tenant won’t affect this new business.

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