New Coffee Shop Opens In Newtonville

NEWTON, MA — Caffé Nero opened quietly on Austin Street Monday, and for those who happen to need a little java before 3 p.m., they are offering free coffee until 3 p.m. on opening day.

The coffee shop joins Starbucks, and George Howell Coffee in Newtonville with Dunkin not too far away.

Caffé Nero, known for its cozy wood and book-laden interiors, first landed in Boston in 2015. Since then, the privately owned company has opened about 30 shops in the area, including two in Brookline and one in Wellesley.

The European-style cafe features an espresso-heavy menu, sandwiches, and desserts such as limoncella mascarpone cake.

The chain has more than 30 locations in Greater Boston that have recently reopened, including in Wellesley and Brookline after closing because of the pandemic in March.

In 1997 Gerry Ford, a London-based businessman acquired a group of Italian style espresso bars based in London. The story goes, he wanted to bring an authentically Italian coffee shop that served good, espresso based coffee, fresh food and bakery items at a neighborhood gathering spot. Since then, the chain has grown from across London to Poland, Turkey, Cyprus, US and the UAE, according to the chain’s LinkedIn account.