As visitors step into European Café, they are greeted by a warm scent of vanilla and faint sounds of jazz. The café, established in 2014, is owned by Uliana Komodi and Khrystyna Savva, a sister team who are inspired by classic modern style and colorful tastes.
Q – What inspired you and Uliana to open a café?
“Growing up, our mother was always baking delicious cakes for parties. After we moved to Springfield from Ukraine in 2011, Uliana started baking cakes for fun-it was a comforting reminder from the home we knew. She brought a cake to a birthday party and people went on about how much they loved it. Uliana was so encouraged that she made a business out of it and became a self-taught pastry chef. My role around dabbles in a little bit of everything; I consider my job to be more like a hobby because I enjoy being here.”
Q – What’s the story behind European Café?
“Our pastries and cakes are inspired by classic desserts from regions of Europe. People love to order our Tiramisu–our own little taste of Italy. A lot of our treats originate from classic French desserts but we also have pastries inspired by German and Eastern European cuisine.”
Q – What do you serve at European Café?
“We offer dessert catering for special events, light breakfast options, and coffee beverages. A favorite drink among our regulars is the Crème Bruleé lattee. After frothing the milk, we sprinkle raw sugar on top then torch till caramelized. Also, our patisserie is always stocked with fresh macaroons, fruit tarts, hazelnut mousse cake, and other petit gateaux. Many of our treats are Gluten-free too! We also started offering cooking classes. It’s been great to meet other people in the community who share our love for baking.”
Q – How is European Café different from other coffee shops?
“We believe food should be beautiful inside and out.
All of our cakes and small bites are made from scratch with only the best ingredients–Belgian chocolate, Italian espresso, and French preserves. A lot of our inspiration comes from famous pastry chefs, such as Antonio Bachour, who are known for making technically complex, beautiful cakes. Baking at this quality is an investment, but we look at our business this way: if we won’t eat it, then we won’t serve it.”
