Exquisite Café opened its doors in downtown Chicopee Feb. 12

CHICOPEE — A new coffee shop called Exquisite Café is now open at 218 1/2 Exchange St.

Owner Mario Deshazo, who will also have the help of his mother, Crystal Cedeno, who will work at the shop, is excited to officially welcome everyone to his café.

“It’s surreal. I have been trying to open since February. We were doing a lot of work and trying to renovate the whole place. It took almost a year so just getting over the hurdles and going through inspections and make sure everything is up to code. I learned a lot about myself to persevere through it all and never give up,” Deshazo said.

The shop currently offers different types of coffees and tea as well as pastries, donuts and cakes.

“We are just adding on as we go and we are going to start making breakfast sandwiches, if possible,” Deshazo added.

Currently the hours of operation for the café are Monday to Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Deshazo, who was originally from Chicopee, discussed his desire to open the café.

“I’m a coffee lover. I’m pretty sure a lot of people are so it came to me one night and I said that I am going to go for it. Just the passion for coffee itself and I like meeting people as well,” Deshazo said.

He added, “I was originally from Chicopee back when I was a kid, so I just pretty much just wanted to start back where I started from, get back to the community and to do something positive. I know the city is trying to rebuild the area and I just wanted to be a part of it in some way.”

Besides adding to the overall vibe of the downtown area, Deshazo said he wants the café to be a place that people can go to and enjoy the experience.

“We are a grab and go style, we would like for you to sit in and meet new people. We want to bring good spirits to the area and to the space and to the shop itself,” Deshazo said.

Exquisite Café hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony on Feb. 12 where city delegates and residents gathered to welcome the shop to the city.

Mayor John Vieau, state Rep. Shirley Arriaga (D-Chicopee), state Sen. Jake Oliveira (D-Ludlow), and his district director, Jennifer Pickering, state Sen. John Velis’ (D-Westfield) aid Kevin Chambers, Ward 9 City Councilor Mary Beth Pniak-Costello and state Sen. Adam Gomez’s (D-Springfield) Aid Lamari Jackson.

Deshazo talked about his feelings to see the community and city and state officials welcome his business to the city.

“It was really warming,” Deshazo said, “It was great to get the support from the city behind me. When you are starting a business, some people get discouraged as you are trying to pull for customers, you are trying to advertise so I feel like the city coming behind me and welcoming me to the area was truly a blessing.”
Vieau said, “It was a joyous occasion filled with warmth, laughter and delicious aromas wafting from the cafe’s kitchen. But what truly made this event special was the esteemed presence of our city delegates. Their unwavering commitment to our community is truly inspiring, and we’re privileged to have such dedicated leaders shaping our future. Let’s continue to support and uplift each other as we build a brighter future together. Cheers to Exquisite Café and the wonderful journey ahead.”