Today we’d like to introduce you to Natalia Umpierrez.
The Local Moose is a cafe located in Manchester NH which focuses on local foods and coffee. The small, family-owned cafe opened in September of 2015. Owners and siblings, Marc Lee and Bo Tong co-own the cafe with their parents. Growing up the two brothers were involved with their parent’s restaurant and transitioned to owning their own small business two years ago. The goal was to create an environment where people could enjoy a delicious cup of coffee with a handcrafted sandwich made with locally sourced ingredients. Though the menu may be small, you can be assured that you will find something interesting on the menu. Marc, Bo, and Natalia (wife of Bo Tong) were inspired from their various backgrounds, travels, and cultures to create a special menu.
The Banh Mi, a Local Moose staff favorite, began as an idea when traveling to Vietnam. The Banh Mi is served on a house-made baguette and is topped with locally sourced pork, pickled root veggies, cucumbers, cilantro, and Sriracha mayo. Both Bo and Marc work at creating new and enticing sandwiches with as many local and seasonally available ingredients as possible.
Natalia, who takes care of baking the daily gluten-free and vegan muffins, runs the front of the house. She focuses on baking and sourcing, local well roasted and ethically sourced coffees as well as creating the monthly drink specials and single origin cold brew coffee (which is made in-house.) The Local Moose offers an array of coffee and espresso drinks. The espresso menu consists of traditional beverages such as cappuccinos, Americanos, and cortados as well as some non-traditional house specialty coffees such as the Vietnamese espresso (a delicious drink made of sweetened condensed milk and espresso.)
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
“Opening your own small business is not an easy feat, it’s hard work and even though you lock the doors at the end of the day it doesn’t mean the day’s work has ended. However, there is something truly special about being your own boss. We have fun, we enjoy what we do, and we put out a good product.” -Natalia
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