09/22/2026
Six years ago yesterday, we opened the doors to La Belle Vie with a dream.
We wanted to create more than just a café. We wanted a place where families would make memories, where friends would gather, and where people would sit across the table from one another and build relationships.
Six years later, that is exactly what we get to see every single day.
Bible study groups gather around our tables. Men’s workout groups stop in for coffee. Ladies play cards, knit and catch up on life. Business meetings happen throughout the day. Friends reconnect. Families celebrate. And sometimes people simply find a quiet corner and enjoy a cup of coffee.
We LOVE being part of the Frenchtown experience, and we look forward to being here for many, many years to come.
To our faithful guests who have been with us since the very beginning - THANK YOU. And to those of you who just discovered us last week - THANK YOU, too. You are all part of the La Belle Vie story.
To the dozens of employees who have shared a part of their lives and have left their fingerprints on our business, we also thank you. From Andy, Jeremiah, Ann and Cami to the crew in place today – we could not have done any of this without you!
We also want to thank our family and friends who have supported us through thick and thin. The café has pretty much been our life for the past six years, and owning a small business definitely isn’t all glamorous.
We’ve missed baseball games and soccer games with our grandsons. We’ve missed events because a chef decided not to show up for work. We’ve missed retirement parties because we were washing dishes. There have been early mornings, late nights, tough decisions and more than a few moments when Melissa and I have cried on each other’s shoulder.
Those are some of the sacrifices that come with opening a small business and keeping the doors open day after day.
But there is also this…
At the end of the night, when the lights are turned off and Melissa and I walk through the café when no one else is around, we still look at what we have created together with a tremendous sense of satisfaction.
Six years.
Thousands of guests. Countless conversations. Friendships formed. Memories made. And a little café in Frenchtown that became so much more than we ever imagined when we first opened those doors.
Thank you for believing in us, supporting us and being part of our journey.
Here’s to the next six years — TOGETHER!
