We can hardly believe that Santa is coming in just 20 days! Whether you're excited, anxious, stressed, joyful or all of the above, we have three seasonal drinks for you to kick off the holiday season at Erie Shore Cafe.

No, not those kinds of drinks. We'll leave that to all the party hosts! Bundle up and get ready for Grinch Hot Chocolate, Peppermint Mochas and Gingerbread Lattes now through the New Year. 

We all know that one person who is a grinch around the holidays, right? Well, we have the perfect drink that will maybe help their heart grow at least one size bigger. 

We start with creamy milk that is magically turned green and warmed to the perfect temperature for a cozy day at the cafe. Instead of the traditional milk or dark chocolate, we add white chocolate to the milk for a rich, fun flavor. Our baristas then top it with the all-important whipped cream.

Our baristas had so much fun coming up with this drink to make it festive for all of our non-coffee-drinking customers. 

Starbucks and other companies have really taken the seasonal drink game to the next level, making holiday drinks a beloved part of the season. We love how creative and festive each drink can be, so we wanted to offer one of the classics at our own cafe. 

​This candy cane inspired drink starts with a shot of espresso to help boost your energy so you can wrap, shop, decorate, bake or get through that tough family gathering with a smile. With steamed milk, rich chocolate sauce and peppermint flavor shots, this is sure to put a pep in your step and satisfy that sweet tooth. The chocolate drizzle over the whipped cream is just an added bonus.

Making gingerbread houses and cookies are classic traditions that just never seem to get old. The smell of subtle spices and sugar have a way of putting smiles on our faces. That's why we've perfected the gingerbread latte. 

With warm steamed milk and a layer of silky foam over Finger Lakes Coffee Roasters espresso, our classic latte is spiced up with gingerbread flavor shots to put you in the holiday mood. We can even add a dash of cinnamon for a  more fun flavor. Cue the Michael Bublé Christmas music.

The best part? You're investing in your local community with every purchase you make at the cafe. As a nonprofit that supports people with disabilities, all of our sales are used to create job opportunities for individuals of all abilities. That's something to feel good about this holiday season.

Hop on over to the cafe to try one of our holiday drinks today! We are open Monday – Friday from 7 a.m. – 3 p.m. We will be open on both Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve. Cheers! 

Erie Shore Landing is nestled in such a supportive community, and we want to show our appreciation to some of the businesses who believe in our mission of creating opportunities for individuals of all abilities. Every Tuesday throughout the rest of the year, we are offering 10 percent off purchases for anyone who shows proof of employment at Newark CSD (first week of the month), Newark-Wayne Community Hospital (second week of the month), IEC Electronics (third week of the month) or FLCC (fourth week of the month). 

This is just one small way we can give back to our community. Share this with a friend or coworker and let them know about this awesome opportunity! 

At Erie Shore Landing, we believe that fresh food is the best food. That's why we use all local ingredients to create specialty dishes for our customers. Our sauces – along with our baked goods – are made fresh each day to give our lunch and breakfast options a taste that you won't find anywhere else. 

The weather might be a bit dreary toward the end of a winter in upstate NY, but we are blessed with four  seasons that bring distinct ingredients for our dishes at Erie Shore Landing. We plan to update our menu at the start each season to offer you new, fresh flavors. Right now, our Spring menu is on display in the cafe and online.

Some of our specials include a spring salad with spring greens, apples, red onions, cucumbers, baby kale, feta, spring onions, and our homemade maple-balsamic dressing; a hummus lovers platter with lemon hummus, warm pita bread, and a bed of spring greens with quinoa power salad; and a caprese panini featuring fresh mozzarella, baby spinach, tomatoes, and homemade balsamic-pesto on focaccia. Check out our website or stop in to see everything on this season's menu.

In a rush? Call ahead to place your order and pick it up when you're ready. We will be sure to have it prepared for you when you walk through our doors.

As always, thank you to all of our wonderful supporters and everyone who has dined with us since our opening two weeks ago. We are looking forward to serving you more in the future! Please feel free to leave us a review on Yelp, TripAdvisor, Google, and Facebook to let other visitors know what you think. You can also contact us with any suggestions as we continue to learn and grow as a new business.

We have been patiently waiting to unveil an opening date for Erie Shore Landing, and we are excited announce that date is Thursday, May 2! At 10:00 that morning, we will hear opening remarks from David Calhoun, Executive Director of The Arc Wayne, and Brian Stratton, Director of the NYS Canal Corporation, followed by a ribbon-cutting ceremony and the official opening of our cafe and ice cream parlor. 

Our wonderful chefs and delightful staff are eager to welcome everyone in to taste all of the delicious menu items they've been perfecting over the last few weeks. The Erie Shore Cafe menu is stocked with smoothies, salads, sandwiches, specialty espresso drinks, and more. Plan to see our menu adapt to the seasons, however. With new seasonal ingredients, we will offer different specials throughout the year that highlight what's fresh locally. We hope this will excite your taste buds as much as ours.

We're ready for the warmer weather, and we are confident that Erie Shore Ice Cream is going to be a new favorite in town with the Gifford's and Upstate Farms ice cream selections that make our sundaes and cones so good. Be sure to stop in for a cool treat throughout the summer.

This entire project was designed with our community in mind, so we invite everyone to join us on May 2 at 10 a.m. as we open our doors to public. Weather permitting, we will host the opening ceremony outside of Erie Shore Cafe on Van Buren Street (pictured above). If needed, the ceremony will be held inside of our new conference room (accessible on Van Buren Street). 

We are almost finished with the final touches around Erie Shore Landing! As we wait for our furniture to come in and staff to receive the training they need, we are working hard to finalize a menu we think you'll absolutely love.

Melanie Cutillo comes to Erie Shore Landing as our Cafe Manager with years of experience running and operating The Little Tea Cart, and she is hard at work creating a menu especially for our guests this spring. With healthy options and some treats to satisfy that sweet tooth, there is sure to be something for everyone.

One of Melanie's specialties is British-style scones with jam. These biscuit-like treats are a great breakfast or snack option that is sure to leave you wanting more. Their crisp exterior and fluffy filling make the perfect surface for some homemade jam or marmalade – especially when paired with a hot cup of tea or coffee.

Have a bigger appetite but still want something that will fuel you to help tackle your busy day? Try one of our new grain bowls, smoothies, or salads. Need a cheat day? We've got that covered too. Our crêpes are stuffed with all of your favorite fruits, sauces, and toppings. Looking to get away from upstate NY weather for a while? Our assorted quiche are sure to fire up your taste buds and transport you to a French café along the Seine. 

We know that as the seasons change, so do your cravings. Keep an eye out for our updated Erie Shore Cafe menu as we use seasonal ingredients and introduce a variety of options. As always, we welcome your feedback! Please contact us with any questions or suggestions about the menu. 

We can't wait to start serving you at Erie Shore Cafe this April! 

If you're like us, you enjoy a good cup 'o Joe to start your day. What makes a good cup of coffee that's not too bitter, not too weak, and has just enough caffeine to jumpstart the day? Locally roasted beans that are ground and brewed on-the-spot.

At Erie Shore Cafe, we have officially committed to serving Finger Lakes Coffee Roasters coffee to our customers, and we are so excited to support this local business. And while it helps our local economy to support Finger Lakes Coffee Roasters, it also helps us make that perfect cup of coffee you want when you visit us at the cafe.

Coffee beans are infused with oils under each shell that help give the grounds a robust flavor. When we use whole beans and grind them at the time of your ordering coffee, those flavors are released and taste fresher. With pre-ground beans, those oils are released and oxidize, which causes the beans to lose moisture and flavor over time. And because Finger Lakes Coffee Roasters is close by, you can be assured that you're drinking the freshest roasts around.

If you're not familiar with Finger Lakes Coffee Roasters, check out their story on their website. This business started out as a small operation just down the canal from The Arc Wayne and Erie Shore Landing in Bushnell's Basin, NY. Since it's 1996 opening, Finger Lakes Coffee Roasters has expanded across much of Western New York and has become a staple in many homes and businesses. 

Their commitment to source green Arabica coffee beans from the top 5% of beans available has led to superior coffee that is roasted right here in the Finger Lakes. Not only do they take their roasting seriously, but they also take the Fair Trade/Organic Certification seriously when working with coffee growers across the world. When they return home from traveling, Finger Lakes Coffee Roasters leads initiatives to sustain the environment by composting grounds and utilizing chaff in gardens.

We hope you'll enjoy a delicious cup of locally roasted coffee with us this spring when Erie Shore Cafe opens its doors for business! Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat (@erieshorenewark) for more insider information.

Staff at The Arc Wayne received an exclusive tour around our new cafe, ice cream parlor, printshop, learning academy and retail space as we continue to put the final touches on everything. David Calhoun, The Arc Wayne Executive Director, Ben Jones, Erie Shore Landing Retail Manager, and Jessica Blondell, The Arc Wayne Development Coordinator, took employees through the spaces and shared exciting news about what's to come when we open the shops to the public this spring.

As of this week, we will be bringing a Cafe/Bakery Manager on board to oversee Erie Shore Cafe, which means we can also start interviewing candidates for part-time positions in cafe. Visit our job page to see all of the available job opportunities posted thus far. Positions start at $11.10/hour with morning and afternoon shifts available throughout the week.

We are working diligently to make our grand opening a spectacular experience for every person who walks through our doors. We remain optimistic as we strive toward an opening date of March 1, 2019. Please follow us on Facebook or Instagram and check back in on this website to stay up-to-date with all of our progress. You can also join our mailing list to receive the latest news and promos directly to your inbox! 

We can't wait to share all of our exciting developments with you in the coming months. Please let us know if you have any thoughts, ideas, or questions regarding the shops. As a new business, we are always looking for good feedback from our community. Thank you for being a supporter of Erie Shore Landing!

Erie Shore Landing construction is officially wrapping up this week, and we are actively working toward being able to open our doors to the public. If you've heard about the project or have seen the transformation of our building, you're probably wondering, "What is Erie Shore Landing?" Hopefully this blog post can answer some of your questions about it, but feel free to contact us with any other inquires regarding the shops or the project as a whole. 

Erie Shore Landing is a retail business of The Arc Wayne consisting of four shops along the Erie Canal in Newark, as well as a learning academy. The shops include Erie Shore Cafe, Erie Shore Ice Cream, Erie Shore Printing, and a retail space that is available for a local business to rent out as a storefront. Our employees will be a mix of individuals with disabilities and those without in our community. We are excited to introduce dozens of new jobs for the Newark area.

All of the shops except Erie Shore Ice Cream will be open year-round. The ice cream shop will be seasonal and opening this spring. So far, we do not have a business renting the retail space, so it will be overflow seating for our cafe in the meantime. We are also hoping to have a kiosk where customers can buy local products and goods right in the store. This kiosk is still in the development phase and will not be open right away. 

Erie Shore Cafe will serve coffee, baked goods, sandwiches, wraps, paninis, and more. Our ice cream shop will serve both soft serve and hard ice cream. The printshop will continue doing business as usual, but we are also adding mailing services in the near future.

Erie Shore Learning is a training kitchen and conference room where individuals can learn the necessary retail, food preparation, and customer service skills they need to thrive in the Erie Shore retail shops. The learning academy is a first of its kind in the area, and we believe it will increase confidence in our employees and enhance your experience with us.

We are now hiring a retail manager who will then assist us in hiring more employees to work in the shops, so please check out our job postings later next month if you're interested in working with us!

We are planning an official opening date this winter, so stay tuned. Once the final preparations are completed, we will be sure to spread the word about when customers can come visit us! We hope you will join us that day. As we mentioned earlier, please feel free to reach out to us with any questions about the project.

Thank you for your support of our mission and wanting to help make a difference in your community. ​