Located on Claremont Road in Bernardsville, Goldfinch Cafe has now been open for about two months. Since opening this past January, Goldfinch Cafe quickly received an immense amount of positive feedback.
After having grown up in Europe, Zainescu not only developed a passion for coffee, but also an appreciation for “having a sense of community around the places you gather to eat or drink is really important, so [he] wanted to build that in Bernardsville.”
Zainescu has quickly seen this community begin to grow inside Goldfinch as he has made meaningful connections with people visiting the coffee shop, “The town and everyone who lives here is so incredibly nice and welcoming, and I was missing what I had back home – a place to gather, to meet new people, to have great coffee. I love the idea that Goldfinch is creating a sense of community and belonging.”
Goldfinch Cafe’s menu consists mainly of European espresso-based drinks. Zainescu further explains, “Our drinks start with an espresso base and we can build almost anything from here: Cortado, Latte, Cappuccino, Americano and many more coffee varieties. Depending on the season, we are also offering Cold Brew, Affogato and other seasonal coffee drinks.”
Almost every week the owners at Goldfinch Cafe rotate the roasters that they get their coffee beans from. Zainescu describes this unique aspect, “It’s a different concept than most other coffee shops, and the idea behind it is to always have fresh, new coffee that surprises and delights people. We want to experience different natural flavors with our customers and see what the community likes, and learn with our customers.”
For those unable to visit Goldfinch Cafe, their official website also offers a wide selection of coffee, drinks, food, and merchandise.
Beginning his day before opening hours, Zainescu arrives between 5:30 and 6:00 am. Each morning, Zainescu calibrates the grinder and espresso machine to ensure a perfect drink for his customers. His work day continues after closing with ordering new coffee beans, other inventory that is needed, paying suppliers, and many other factors essential to running his business.
In addition to his hard work inside the coffee shop, Zainescu also focuses on Goldfinch Cafe’s presence on social media. Zainescu explains, “It also takes a lot of effort and thinking to have meaningful social media interactions and create a differentiated brand, so it’s definitely not easy. I take pictures throughout the day to post on our social channels.”
Not only is Goldfinch Cafe a great place to visit for coffee, but the warm sense of community and welcoming inside has also encouraged both first-time and returning customers to stop by. Zainescu has quickly found Bernardsville to be the perfect location for Goldfinch Cafe after receiving so much support as well as success, and hopes to eventually expand in the future.
Zainescu has made connections with his customers, discussing his incredible knowledge on all things coffee, as well as a remarkable journey that has led him to opening Goldfinch Cafe. Zainescu has also seen customers make connections amongst each other. Many people, both within the Bernardsville community and not, have entered Goldfinch Cafe for coffee and left with a friend.
Zainescu adds, “As an owner of a coffee place, I enjoy meeting new people every day and building relationships with regular customers. I want Goldfinch.Cafe to be a gathering spot for locals, supporting local events and causes. I also enjoy experimenting with different coffee blends and ingredients to create unique and delicious drinks for customers to try. I’m a big talker and so it’s something I really love doing!”
