Hanan’s Café
Celebrating everyday life with fresh food
By Pamela Hammonds
Sometimes a major life event propels you toward your dreams. For Amy Vasquez, losing her mother suddenly last June made her realize how unpredictable life can be. Amy and her daughter, Hanan, had talked about opening a bakery—maybe specializing in cupcakes. Then they formulated a concept of a gourmet café, where families could enjoy casual eclectic dining alongside others conducting business or meeting with friends.
As a co-owner of d’Vine Wine, Amy knew the commitment a restaurant required and, since Hanan is only 12 years old, she knew her daughter could provide little more than encouragement. But that was enough to inspire her to open Hanan’s Café.
“My mom had always dreamed of owning a tea room, and my daughter loves to bake and wants to be a chef one day,” Amy said. “So, Hanan’s Café is partly a tribute to my mother and a project my daughter and I had dreamed of. It’s a celebration of life through amazing food.”
Hanan’s Café will open later this month, but already folks in Cypress are excited about what the new restaurant will offer. Amy’s committed to featuring counter service barista-style gourmet coffees and fresh house-made pastries along with healthy meals for lunch and dinner. Folks can enjoy freshly prepared crepes (sweet and savory), pancakes (including gluten-free) and fruit juices plus free Wi-Fi. For people on the go, ready-to-eat sandwiches and salads are made fresh daily and are available to carry out. Meals can be eaten indoors or enjoyed al fresco on the patio.
The chalkboard menu changes often, so you can come regularly and enjoy something new for breakfast, lunch or dinner. “This is a new concept to Cypress,” Amy said. “Hanan’s Café takes the farm-to-table notion and showcases it in a gourmet café. Our menu will change based on what’s in season with an emphasis on the freshest available. We’ll also offer unique items like our French Picnic—a cheese board with Italian bread, pesto sauce and house-made jam—and our Lox Box featuring a smoked salmon bagel with all the trimmings. We’ll also feature Bloody Mary Steak ‘n’ Eggs and mimosas, plus traditional menu items like a half-pound burger and a soup of the day.”
Families will appreciate fun choices on the kids’ menu—mini corndogs, popcorn chicken and pasta—and a dessert sure to please: cotton candy! Hanan’s Café will also feature a select variety of wines and unique micro-brewed beers as well as live music. “We see people of all ages enjoying our new restaurant,” said Amy, “whether they need to grab a coffee and pastry to-go or a prepared salad or sandwich for lunch, or if they have time to conduct a business lunch or catch up on some work while they eat. This is also the perfect time of year for enjoying our beautiful patio. Hanan and I are so excited about this. We can’t wait to share with our Cypress neighbors what we’ve been planning.”
Hanan’s Café will be open 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.; six days a week.