Ever since Kathleen Jewell opened Pomegranate Books nearly 10 years ago, she has envisioned her shop with a café.

“I love the idea of having a cup of coffee or tea while browsing a bookstore,” she said.

For several years Jewell served coffee brewed from a Bunn-O-Matic to her customers while searching for ways to incorporate a café into her bookstore, 4418 Park Ave.

Now, with the help of daughter Adrian and son-in-law Manol Georgieff, Café Zola is coming to life.

“It’s really the culmination of two dreams,” said Georgieff, a former graphic design and photography teacher. “We’re really excited to partner with Kathleen on the café.”

Georgieff designed Café Zola to reflect his desire to be a zero- or low-impact business, meaning he wants to have as little waste as possible. He repurposed old wooden pallets into tables and covered a large portion of the café's walls with pallet wood as well, giving it a cozy and rustic feel. All food scraps as well as coffee grounds and tea leaves will be composted and the café is using 100-percent biodegradable disposables.

“It costs a bit more but we think it’s worth it,” he said.

Georgieff will manage the café with Adrian providing input on coffee, tea and pastry selections.

Café Zola will offer 35 varieties of high-quality loose-leaf tea from around the globe, 12 of them certified organic blends. Single cups or pots of tea are available as well as to-go cups.

Coffee will be sourced from local micro-roasters Folks Café and Kaldi. Coffee will be brought in twice weekly in small batches to ensure optimal freshness. Café Zola will also feature pour-over coffees, with about four blends to choose from. Pour-over coffee brewing allows for each cup to be brewed individually and cuts down on waste while also proving a new kind of experience for the coffee lover.

The café is also set up to serve a variety of juice blends made from local produce.

“We’ve invested in high-quality juicers as well as brewing equipment in order to serve the best possible juices, coffees and teas,” Georgieff said.

In addition to providing a wide selection of beverages, the café will carry a variety of locally made pastries.

The café will be open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and occasionally later for special events at the bookstore. Jewell and Georgieff are also considering applying for a beer and wine permit in the coming months.

A mid-January opening is planned.

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