By James Cullum
alexandrianews.org
Sarge's Chicken Salad Sandwich with chips: $7.00 at Cafe Nicole. (Photo: James Cullum)
Nicole Burlimann makes arguably the best chicken salad sandwich in town. Since opening Café Nicole, 1125 Queen Street, three months ago, she’s learned this about her customers: “They’re eaters. They want sandwiches and food, not just coffee,” she said.
Burlimann, 24, owns Café Nicole with her father, Erwin Burlimann, a classically trained Swiss chef. “I never went to culinary school, but I learned from the best,” Nicole said. “It’s crazy how it works out. I wanted to focus on the coffee, but the customers really wanted to eat the food. By next spring we are going to have a full kitchen installed so that we can beef up the menu and have hot food. The first thing on the list, though, is to have out-door seating, which we’re hoping for in September, when we’re on the City Council docket.”
Cafe Nicole, home of Sarge's Chicken Salad Sandwich. (Photo: James Cullum)
The location of Café Nicole may be familiar for many. For years, the building at the corner of Queen and North Fayette was home to Sarge’s, a soul food restaurant and nightclub that closed in 2008. A realtor friend told Nicole about the available property. “She said that this neighborhood really needs something with your personality that will help bring people closer together. My father and I met Sarge, who is a wonderful man. He comes in twice a week,” she said. “My father and I went in on this together. We’ve always wanted to own our own place.”
So, how’s business? “You know what? It’s summertime. It’s hot. People are on vacation. Business is great for only having been open three months,” Nicole said. “I have no complaints, it’s just hit or miss. Some days we’re slammed, wall-to-wall. During the rainstorm last week, we were the only ones in the neighborhood to not lose power. It was awesome. We had amazing business.”
Breakfast fare includes bagels with smoked salmon or Nutella, egg and cheese sandwiches and oatmeal. The lunch menu has soups, salads and hot sandwiches, including the delicious Sarge’s Chicken Salad Sandwich with toasted multi-grain bread, lettuce, cheese, tomato and bacon. The pastries and desserts are from Bread and Chocolate. Nicole wants to eventually serve beer and wine and host poetry readings and other events.
As for the coffee, “I’m a coffee freak,” Nicole said. “Deciding on the coffee was one of the hardest decisions for me. I went with the Chesapeake Roasting Company, formerly known as Espresso Outfitters. They are based in Crofton, Maryland. They decided they wanted to start roasting their own beans themselves. I tried many different roasters, but these guys were willing to work with us with providing brewing equipment.”
Nicole Burlemann, 24, of Cafe Nicole, 1125 Queen Street. (Photo: James Cullum)
Nicole was born and raised in Alexandria. She went to nursing school, managed Starbucks at Potomac Yard and worked at St. Elmo’s Coffee Pub. “Before this I was at St. Elmo’s and I was working part-time in a doctor’s office,” Nicole said. “I’ve always had two dreams. I’ve always wanted to open my own free clinic for the medically uninsured or own my own business, like a café. But it’s an amazing opportunity. This is something I thought I was going to do after I turned 40 and had a bunch of kids. I’m enjoying it, but I never thought I would be doing all this so soon in my short 24 years on this earth.
“I’m learning as I go. A lot of coffee shops around here don’t have food. And as soon as we start doing the whole hot food thing, it’ll be even better than it is now,” Nicole said. “The neighbors in particular, when they come home, they don’t always want to cook, and they may want a cozy restaurant next door. It’ll be really interesting to see what happens when the weather breaks and people go back to school and vacations are over.
“I’ve learned a lot over these last three months. I have a completely new staff from when we opened. I work from open until close and only need one other person here with me. I do the work of three people. It’s a lot less expensive. It’s a hectic pace, but I like to stay busy,” Nicole said. “But I hate my name now. I’m constantly being judged. Not only is my name on the awning and the sign, and that’s the business, but I’m here 24/7, it’s a constant, ‘You’re Nicole? Wow! We met Nicole!’ That’s all I hear. But it’s fun. I like it. I joke to my employees: ‘Who’s name is on the sign? That’s right. I own this place.’”
Café Nicole is open Monday – Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.; Saturday, from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and on Sunday from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.