Bethesda’s new specialty coffee shop, Clove & Cedar Coffeebar, is scheduled to open spring of 2019. The 1,200 square foot cafe will be opening on the ground level of the Bainbridge Bethesda building at 4918 St. Elmo Ave.
The shop’s owner is Janet Forlini, a current Bethesda resident. Previously a lawyer, Forlini worked for the past two decades on Capitol Hill and for multiple nonprofit organizations in D.C.
Because this is her first time running a business, she has turned to many other local business owners to garner their advice for running a successful shop. “I know I have a lot to learn, but I think I’ve been willing to listen to a lot of people, both within the specialty coffee industry but also in other types of small businesses,” Forlini said in an interview with Bethesda Magazine.
The store’s name was inspired by the two main ingredients on the flavor wheel created by the Specialty Coffee Association, a nonprofit organization representing coffee professionals from all across the world.
Forlini is planning to use the coffee beans produced by Annapolis-based Coffee Roasters Roastery as the base to the store’s coffees. She also is partnering with multiple bakeries in the Bethesda area as an effort to provide pastries, sandwiches, soups, quiches, and a range of gluten-free items to accompany the coffee.
Her vision for Clove and Cedar Coffeebar is to not only serve specialty coffee but also become a place where neighbors and friends can come together. In addition to being a communal gathering spot, the Clove and Cedar Coffeebar will also host weekend events that are open to anyone. In the future, she is also planning a weekend storytime event for the children of Bethesda.
Forlini is not only eager to create a space known for serving top notch coffee, but she is also excited to give back to the local Bethesda community.
Article by MoCo Student staff writer Katherine Mahoney of Sherwood High School