The deliciousness has expanded.
In February, Java Blend Cafe owner Mary Ann Zook said, Wythe County Community Hospital approached her about setting up a shop in Wytheville.
Java Blend Cafe, now a standard and popular eatery in Rural Retreat, is known for its coffees, pastries and other food selections.
“I was excited and apprehensive at the same time,” Zook said, noting that it took two months before she was able to confidently say yes.
The move into the WCCH facility has special meaning for Zook. In 2015, her husband passed away in the Wytheville hospital, following a long battle with cancer.
“We had, in prior years, spent a lot of time in various hospitals with him, and we know the stress of caring for loved ones inside hospital walls.”
Zook said the businesses goal is to not only serve delicious food and drinks to everyone who enters the hospital, but to listen to their stories, too. To care for them as friends, she said. She added that the hope is the cafe can help keep hard-working hospital staff energized.
The pastries, cold wraps and salads are made in Rural Retreat, Zook said, with sandwiches being put together and made on site.
The response so far has been fantastic with Zook reporting a strong first week in the expanded location.
Java Blend Cafe is celebrating its fifth year this year. Zook called her time in the food service business rewarding.
“I have learned that the food business is all about pleasing the people,” she said. “I need to have items on the menu that they want to eat, and their opinion is more important than mine!”
At Java Blend, regulars are treated as family and staff works to ensure that customers leave satisfied. That means the lessons never stop as staff continually looks for ways to improve, become more efficient and maintain the equipment.
“It does seem like the people in Wytheville are excited to see us in town,” she said, “and we hope to create long-lasting friendships with them just like we have with the folks in Rural Retreat.”
For a little bit of inside baseball, be sure to try Zook’s personal favorite on the menu the CBR wrap (short of chicken, bacon and ranch).
“That has been on the menu since day one with no plans of changing anything on it!” she said.
