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October 5, 2020Square One Cafe Officially Opens in Downtown Schenectady
Square One Cafe, a proud member of the Capital Region Chamber, owned and operated by Chelsea Heilmann, cut the ceremonial ribbon on Friday, October 2nd. The Chamber was elated to support another member but this time with an extra twist. Sabrina Heilmann, a Membership Executive at the Capital Region Chamber, is the proud mom of Chelsea.
Chelsea Heilmann has always wanted to open her own café. In the past few years, while living in Schenectady as a vegan, she realized that there was a lack of options downtown. She wants to show people that plant-based foods can taste amazing. Her business partner, Jack Kowalski, who works behind the scenes, maintaining the books is a new vegan also. The two met in high school and have been friends for over 15 years. He decided to jump on board as he had already had thoughts of opening a café one day. The two have a nice balance. He is a numbers cruncher and is good with bookkeeping as Chelsea is the creator and dreamer who also runs the day to day operations at the café.
Chelsea chose to open the café because it is something she has always wanted to do. She has had a passion to make environmentally sustainable food easy and affordable for everyone.
Chelsea has working in cafes for about 12 years. She has also traveled the world exploring and working in different countries. She always had a passion for cooking and decided to go vegan three years ago. This choice has been nothing short of amazing! It is completely different way of cooking with the idea of providing meals without any animal cruelty and that are more sustainable for our planet. When she is not in the café she is always outdoors. She enjoys hiking in the Adirondacks, national parks, and all around the world. She is always trying to do what she can to preserve what the plant has to offer. Her business goal is to get everyday people to eat a vegan meal once, twice, or even six times a week as every vegan meal makes a difference.
The location that was chosen on Jay Street is perfect. Previously Chelsea worked at Happy Cappuccino, the previous café in this spot, for two years and loved every minute of it. The environment that Matt Robbins created was amazing and everything you could want in a café. It was warm and welcoming with of course, amazing coffee!! Chelsea and Matt had always bonded over their love for vegan foods and were always sharing meals and recipes. She had looked at a few locations, but her heart was always in the ‘Happy Capp.’
The key aspect that Chelsea wants everyone to realize is that animal agriculture is one of the leading causes of global warming. It is truly not a sustainable way to continue living. We do not push our beliefs on people but try to educate them that food can be just as amazing without the negative effects of animal products.
The vibe at Square One is to be everyone’s neighborhood café. Her staff is made up of hardworking superstars! Everyone at Square One loves people. The crew takes the time to know who you are and make you feel like you have been a regular for years on your very first visit! The atmosphere is cozy, relaxing, fun, and welcoming. We hope our patrons come in to enjoy a coffee, a vegan meal, and a laugh. Chelsea said she has created many long-lasting relationships and is excited for many more to come!
