My Café Buzz Brings a New Menu and Beachy Atmosphere to Downtown Bellefonte Restaurant – State College News

A new cafe and breakfast and lunch spot in downtown Bellefonte recently took over the previous location of Wine and Cafe on the Park. The new business, My Café Buzz, offers gourmet coffee and healthy menu items in a bright, beachy environment.

Bellefonte native Heather Lingle owns the business, while her parents own the property across from Talleyrand Park on High Street. 

“My parents had always wanted this building,” Lingle says. “They thought it would be the perfect little place to sell ice cream. Then we got the opportunity to do it. I’ve always wanted to own a coffee shop, so it went kind of hand-in-hand. We…had a lot of family help and friends that have supported me. They’re still helping me today.” 

Stop into My Café Buzz any morning and you may see Lingle, her mother or her aunt working, she adds.

My Café Buzz officially opened May 7, right on schedule. Lingle notes the COVID-19 pandemic actually provided the business with just the slow start they needed. 

“It was perfect. It was a nice, slow start,” she says. “We had the perfect soft opening. We started with coffee and baked goods and smoothies, and then moved on. We just opened for breakfast food two weeks ago, and [this] week we’ll open the lunch menu.”

Beyond coffee, smoothies and ice cream, the cafe’s breakfast menu includes breakfast sandwiches and bowls. Baked goods range from pineapple rum cupcakes to cinnamon buns and mermaid sugar cookies.

“Acai bowls and smoothies have been huge,” Lingle says. “We do an acai bowl, a mango bowl and a mocha bowl. It’s a thick smoothie where you blend the acai berries into a puree that you garnish with granola and fresh fruit, and a honey and chocolate drizzle. It creates a big bowl of breakfast. We call it ‘the bowls breakfast dreams are made of’.”

Acai Bowls have been a big hit since My Café Buzz opened in May at at 325 W. High St. in Bellefonte. Photo courtesy of My Café Buzz

Menu items incorporate regional ingredients and products, such as ice cream from Ritchey’s Dairy in Martinsburg and coffee from Standing Stone Coffee Company in Huntingdon. Lingle also invites local artists to display their products in the cafe.

Beyond My Café Buzz menu, Lingle says many patrons have complimented the space’s new decor.

“Everybody loves the style and the decorations,” she says. “It was dark red when I got here, and I made it bright yellow. I lightened it up a lot. [Customers] are using the words ‘tropical’ and ‘mystical’ [to describe it]. It has a little beachy vibe to it. I love plants and brightness, and people seem very excited about that.”

The cafe’s outdoor seating has also been a large draw, and Lingle expects to offer family-friendly events and activities as group gatherings become more popular later in the year.

“Growing up in Bellefonte, I always wanted somewhere to go, somewhere to do things, instead of just hanging out at your friends’ houses,” she says. “We’ll have sip n’ paints — and our ‘sip’ will be coffee — and we’ll do a lot of kid activities. I want to do crafts and games, just to get the town interacting and out. Unfortunately, this isn’t the best time to be doing extra activities, but eventually I want to have a good spot to hang out. We’ll extend our hours eventually.”

Photo courtesy of My Café Buzz

Overall, Lingle hopes to promote a welcoming environment where every customer feels like a family member or friend. 

“I want…you to walk out of here smiling because you had a great conversation or a great experience in general,” she says. “Coffee and food can only take you so far, but being remembered when you walk in the door is huge. I want everyone to walk away feeling happy.”

In the future, beyond offering events and activities, Lingle says there’s a possibility of adding beer and wine to the menu and further promoting the menu’s healthy choices. For now, she’s having a great time with the female-owned and family-run business. 

“I’m having a blast,” she says. “It’s absolutely exhausting owning a business, but it’s a lot of fun.”

My Café Buzz is located at 325 W. High St. in Bellefonte and is open 8 a.m. through 2 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday.

Photo courtesy of My Café Buzz