Founded in 2019, C’s Cake & Coffee House has become a beloved staple in the city of Montevallo. The menu sports a plethora of specialty coffees, pastries, sandwiches, salads and soups. Here, founder Cynthia Bertolone describes her love for her business and her pride in being a Shelby County business owner.
What is your background in the food industry?
My initial background experience began when I was working in corporate America with Drafter Manufacturing Engineering. After many years, I decided to leave my career to work side by side with my husband Michael Bertolone in the food industry, where we owned a restaurant and a bakery. In 2019, we opened C’s Cake & Coffee House in Montevallo.
What is your favorite item to make, and why is it sentimental to you?
My favorite item to make is our exceptional, great-tasting specialty coffees, where I create various flavors such as my signature coffee, C’s Cinnamon Honey Bun Latte. Customers may choose their preference of hot or iced, and we also offer frappes. These specialty coffees that I create are sentimental to me because I put my heart and soul into every cup.
Which menu items are your most popular?
At our coffee shop, we make hearty panini sandwiches, and the most popular is the C’s Cuban, which consists of pork that I roast for five hours. The meat is well-seasoned and is topped with my special, creamy Mojo Sauce, which is made with citrus flavors, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper, and all of this is layered together on Ciabatta bread. Another fan-favorite is the Muffuletta, which is made with Italian cold cuts and olive tapenade on Focaccia bread.
What do you recommend newcomers try first?
When new customers walk into my shop, they are amazed as to how much I have to offer. “A little bit of this and a little bit of that” is what I always recommend to all my newcomers. A small group can share a panini sandwich and a piece of C’s famous sliced cakes whose flavors include strawberry, chocolate mousse, coconut or red velvet cheesecake. A new item that has exploded in popularity is our sweet crepes.
What is your favorite part about being a business owner in Shelby County?
I take pride in providing great customer service, making sure that my customers are receiving excellent service, quality food and exceptional, specialty coffees. The reviews on Google, Yelp and Facebook tell me that I must be doing something right. The best aspect of being an entrepreneur in Shelby County, and being near the University of Montevallo, is meeting new students and their families, welcoming them to my coffee shop. Parents are thrilled that their children can use their Falcon Flex Card to purchase any item in my store. Students can access free Wi-Fi, so they can study and do their homework in-house. As students get to know me, they tend to call me “Mamma C” because I take great interest in their educational progress. I treat these students as my own children, and parents love that about me.
C’s Cake & Coffee House is located at 1241 Valley Street in Montevallo. It is open Monday-Saturday from 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m. For more information, follow the business on Facebook (C’s Cake & Coffee House).
