By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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CHERRY VALLEY — Morgan Bell gets interrupted by a common question as she flame-torches a marshmallow to top off her downtown cafe’s sweet-tasting S’amore iced coffee.
“Why do you use bags,” a customer asked Friday at My Cafe Amore, 125 E. State St., in suite E of The Bricks.
The 28-year-old police officer turned entrepreneur has explanations that are practical and — much like the handheld torch she uses to roast marshmallows — meant to add a little flair.
“We just want to be different,” Bell tells a pair of customers ordering dessert-like drinks. “There’s nothing wrong with the same old, same old coffee shops; that’s just not my personality.”
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My Cafe Amore, which opened May 5, isn’t the only coffee shop to ditch polystyrene-coated paper cups and plastic lids for biodegradable bags, but Bell said she had never seen it in this area before.
“Nobody else has it around here, and it’s actually way more cost effective than doing cups and lids,” Bell said.
She borrowed the idea from a bar in New Braunfels, Texas, called Tejas, which serves cocktails it labels as “adult Capri Suns” in the clear bags.
“They’re biodegradable, you can recycle them, they’re reusable. If you want to take them home and wash them you can put your own cocktails in them,” she said. “I’ve tested it out in every vehicle. It fits into any cupholder — I haven’t tried a limousine yet — and it holds your ice the same way a cup does.”
The 16-oz clear pouch can rest upright much like a Capri Sun. The difference is that at My Cafe Amore they’re filled with flavors created in-house such as Netflix & Chill, which is topped with buttered popcorn and M&M’s, or Thicc Mint, which mirrors the taste of thin mint Girl Scout cookies with a distinct difference:
“We don’t do anything thin around here,” Bell says.
The S’amore, which is a play on s’more and the cafe name, comes topped with a toasted marshmallow.
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The clear pouches and candy-covered coffees are part of the unique charm of My Cafe Amore. Inside you’ll find chandeliers with glass coffee cups as the decorative pieces. The walls are filled with open books from Bell’s collection and other sources that serve as a page-turning wallpaper, and there’s a pair of swings mounted from the ceiling. The furniture is refurbished from Salvation Army and Habitat for Humanity. If the tables wobble a bit, don’t blame the furniture, she says: The floor is at a slight slope.
The coffee itself comes from Fire Dept. Coffee, which is roasted in Rockford and supports first responders who are injured or struggle with mental health issues from the job.
“I want this to be a place of community, aside from just coming to have coffee,” Bell said.
Bell also tries to keep prices lower than chain coffee shops. The 16-ounce specialty drinks go for $5.50, tax included. Drinks on the kids menu are $3.50.
You’ll hear her greet customers with “hi love”” or asking questions like “do you need a receipt, love?” On social media she’ll refer to customers as my amores — my loves.
“The past few years I’ve had to grow into a lot of self-love,” Bell said. “I realize that you have to be good with yourself before you can be good for anybody else. … I wanted a place where that was OK and accepted.”
The Jefferson High School and Rockford University alum gets inspiration for her flavors from the candle isle of department stores.
“My secret is I actually love to go to Marshalls and Home Goods and TJ Maxx and I just love to roam the candles,” she said. “They have a lot of weird flavors, and I’m like, yes, we can totally make that into a coffee.”
She’s pursuing her master’s degree in criminal justice and plans to return to law enforcement one day. For now, she finds enjoyment in watching delighted customers snap photos of their purchase before they drink up.
“I love watching the first sip.”
About | My Cafe Amore
Opened: May 5, 2023
Where: 125 E. State St., suite E, Cherry Valley
Hours: 6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday and Tuesday; 6:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday-Friday; 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday
On social: Facebook page
This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on X at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas and Threads @thekevinhaas