Aiming to bring their business closer to home, Melissa and Kyle Schnable have opened Star Cafe at 2868 Seckman Road in Imperial.
Melissa, 41, and her husband Kyle Schnable, 40, of Barnhart, opened the cafe May 14, on Mother’s Day.
“My husband’s a fireman for (the Antonia Fire Protection District), and my kids go to high school at Seckman,” Melissa said. “We drive in and out of this location, every day all day, so it made sense to be where we’re at.”
The cafe serves coffee, smoothies, protein shakes, frappes, energy teas and breakfast sandwiches. A Festus shop, H&K’s Loaded Sugar Shack, supplies the desserts the cafe sells.
“I think we’re pretty much the only local bistro-type business (for) probably four or five miles,” she added.
Melissa said the business, which is the couple’s third in the food and beverage industry, is a rebranded model of the pair’s former business – Star Nutrition in Oakville, which closed in March 2023.
All of the couple’s other businesses were sold as of May 16, she said.
The Schnables’ newly opened Star Cafe is in the retail complex near the intersection with Old Lemay Ferry Road that also houses Punch Boxing Gym, Dien’s Martial Arts and Canine Connection. The cafe is in the space that used to house the Pink Cheetah Boutique.
“When we first opened, I talked to the landlord because no business has ever made it long term in this (location),” Melissa said. “We’re hoping that we defy the odds on that one.”
Melissa said she and Kyle lease the space, which is about 1,500 square feet. The cafe has indoor seating for about 25, including a “cozy-type” environment in the back with comfortable seating.
“We also have a deck on the back that will be, this week, having outside seating, so it’s just like an open atmosphere,” she said.
Melissa said business has been going well, and most of the cafe’s menu items sold out during its first full week, including iced lattes and peanut butter chocolate frappuccinos.
“Our protein shakes are really popular. The Cookie Lovers and the Strawberry Cheesecake (protein shakes) have been the No. 1 sellers,” Melissa said. “As far as coffee, I feel like the Vanilla Latte with cold foam (is popular). We’ve called it a cloud (because) you make it (look like) a cloud with sweet cold foam.”
Melissa said Star Cafe has seven employees, all local high school and college students, and the business is hiring as needed with in-store applications.
“All of (the cafe’s employees) either live in this district or did live in the district,” Melissa said. “We are strictly trying to hire community-based kids who have grown up here. We’d rather keep it local; everything we try to do local as much as possible.”
Melissa said those employees are a big help because she works full-time as an office manager for Shelby Roofing, and Kyle is a battalion chief for the Antonia Fire Protection District.
She said community is important to her and Kyle and they are using the business as a way to give back to the community.
“We do fundraising for local sports teams and schools, things like that,” Melissa said. “One day a month we will do a profit give-back to an organization. So, basically, they put all their names in a bowl, and we draw names, and that organization gets the fundraiser of the month.”
Among the goals for Star Cafe, Melissa said, is to help support the community while also providing an opportunity for students in the high school and college ranks to earn valuable work and business experience.
The Star Cafe is open from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.
For more information about the cafe, go to its Instagram and Facebook pages.
Melissa said she hopes to develop a website and begin selling online once inventory is stocked up enough.
