Michele Durante, owner of the now-revamped Café Kronic, is letting creativity take the helm at the new location.
Formerly known as Kronic Coffee, the café was originally located farther up the road, but in their new spot (right beside Mondo’s Restaurant), the freshness and the abundance of space has inspired plenty of changes for James Islanders to check out.
“One of the first things we have planned is an art reception on July 26, from 6 until 9 p.m., featuring the photography of Trey Jaskiewicz,” Durante says. “We’re going to have tons of new, fun stuff like that at this location. For folks who come to the art show, we’ll have tasting samples of our upcoming tapas menu. The tapas menu will be in full-swing starting in August.”
Kronic has always been the only place on the Island offering all-fruit smoothies, as well as fair-trade, organic coffee, but it’s not just coffee anymore. Nowadays, you can bring in a bottle of your favorite wine or champagne to enjoy during meals, for just a small corking fee.
“Stop by the grocery store, grab a bottle of wine, and let us introduce you to our new menu items,” says Durante. “We’re doing breakfast, lunch and dinner now—plus Sunday brunch. You can even bring your own champagne to brunch.”
Sunday brunch items include egg dishes, breakfast burritos, omelets and other rotating specials. The lunch menu includes classical favorites such as the Kronic Panini—turkey, cream cheese, cranberry and avocado—plus a few newcomers. The number of vegetarian items is downright impressive. For example, try the Veg-Out Wrap, with seasoned black beans, carrots, roasted red peppers, spinach, onion, dill havarti and house mayo.
“We’re also glad to make any sandwich you see on the menu into a vegetarian version,” says Durante. “We off gluten-free options as well.”
For your 3 p.m. pick-me-up, it’s likely that Durante and crew have just the right snack. Pastry options include Danish, cinnamon rolls, assorted muffins, bagels, and other goodies.
“John Pabst from Cypress Restaurant is our new pastry chef,” explains Durante. “He’s making several of our pastries in-house, including a lot of the breads. We’re also featuring ice cream now.”
One of the café’s future goals is to have live music in the evenings, along with dinner.
“I really want to feature the café as a night spot for the island,” says Durante. “I think James Island needs a new option and now we have the space to give it to them.”
Learn more about Café Kronic’s upcoming tapas menu, plus special events, by checking out their facebook page. Or visit them at 915-Q Folly Road.
