SHELBURNE FALLS — Those looking for a quick bite to eat, with a view, are in luck.
Salmon Falls Cafe officially opened its doors on Deerfield Avenue on Monday, offering salads, sandwiches, Mediterranean fusion and more, within walking distance of the popular Glacial Potholes.
“We’re trying to bring jobs into town and just trying to build a sense of community here that’s been slowly fading away. I want to bring it back,” owner Julio DeJesus said.
While the cafe has a new name and new menu, it is actually a second location for DeJesus, who operates a small deli and cafe inside Avery’s General Store in Charlemont.
“I’m a partner with Avery’s. I opened up a sandwich shop over there for them, and it worked out pretty good, so we decided to start a second location,” DeJesus explained. “Even though the name is different, all the core functions of the business are mimicking the other one from Avery’s.”
DeJesus said Salmon Falls Cafe has a slightly different menu than the sandwich shop at Avery’s General Store. In Charlemont, the business serves more “basic sandwich options,” while in Shelburne Falls, the cafe has an expanded menu. This includes hot dogs, paninis, Reubens, steak and cheese subs, and some tropical flavors. Also on the menu is coffee, boba and shaved ice.
“Over here, we wanted to bring more recipes,” DeJesus said. “In this location, we offer more fusion sandwiches. We fuse more tropical styles, and southern styles, like Salvadoran flavors.”
One example of a fusion flavor sandwich on the menu is the Little Kicker, a roast beef sandwich with cheese, pico, chipotle gourma, roasted red peppers and curtido, a Salvadoran cabbage slaw, on a pain de campagne, also known as French sourdough.
DeJesus added that in addition to offering delicious food, a priority for Salmon Falls Cafe is ensuring the food is fresh and healthy. DeJesus said he hopes to expand their business’ vegetarian options in the future.
“All of our products, including the bread and the meats, have no preservatives. Everything is fresh,” DeJesus said.
DeJesus is no stranger to the restaurant business, Mediterranean and tropical cuisine, or to Shelburne Falls. Prior to his work at Avery’s General Store, he owned Salsa, a Mediterranean restaurant in Shelburne Falls. Well before that, he owned a banquet hall in Holyoke.
“I wanted to get out of that area and move up this way. I tried to do Salsa, and eventually that didn’t work, and I just stuck around. Now I have a kid and a family up here,” DeJesus said.
The challenges of the pandemic, years of construction in the village and the closure of the Bridge of Flowers led to DeJesus needing to close Salsa, he said. With construction complete, he believes Salmon Falls Cafe is set up for success.
The cafe is currently open seven days a week, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. DeJesus said he hopes to eventually expand these hours to 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
DeJesus is also working to expand the seating at the cafe. There is currently some indoor seating and a few tables and chairs right outside the front door. DeJesus said he plans to clean up the back area and side yard next to the building, and set up a dining area to give patrons a place where they can sit and enjoy the view.
On top of Salmon Falls Cafe and the location in Charlemont, DeJesus is working on opening another business directly next to the cafe.
“It’s gonna be called Auntie Coco’s and it’s going to be a seasonal gift shop,” DeJesus said. “Pretzels, hot cocoa, coffee … we’re gonna try to cater to the seasons.”
He said there is no official grand opening date for that store yet, but he is hoping to open Auntie Coco’s in early November, in time for Moonlight Magic.
For more information or to peruse the cafe’s full menu, visit salmonfallscafe.netlify.app.