This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Business & Tech

Molinari Voted Best Coffee Shop in Napa

Molinari Caffé has been open for just a couple of months, but has already earned a solid Napa following for its Italian-style coffee drinks (including one made with Nutella), panini and comfortable, welcoming atmosphere with free wi-fi and a great view.

 

Napa Patch congratulates Rick Molinari!

His on Main Street has been a hit ever since it opened in late March, when neighborhood resident Lowell Downey awarded it a five-star review on Napa Patch: "Great service. Great coffee. Friendly people. Great atmosphere."

Interested in local real estate?Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more.

Other readers have agreed: In this week's , Molinari gained almost a third of more than 160 poll votes, three additional five-star Patch reviews and glowing comments like this one from Rick Cabral:

"Molinari Cafe is a great cafe where everyone knows your name. Coffee selection is not only wonderful, it's different than any other coffee shop in town."

Interested in local real estate?Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more.

Other commenters praised Molinari's specialty drink made with espresso and Nutella.

The café, which stays open later than any other coffee shop downtown, also has free wi-fi and a view of Main Street, Veterans Park and the east bank of the Napa River. 

The 1,300-square-foot space has tables seating 25, a lounge and counter seats along the storefront window. There is also an artists’ wall displaying local artwork, which is for sale, and separate electrical power for potential live music performances.

Look for a Patch Readers' Choice Awards window decal at Molinari Caffé soon, and don't miss the complete poll results at , where  was the runner-up when poll voting closed at 9 a.m.

We could have lost him to Austin, Texas

Before his newest endeavor, Molinari worked as a business analyst for 15 years.

“My father died in 2010, and my uncle died last year. I decided I wanted a change. I almost moved to Austin, Texas. But I am very happy I decided to stay in Napa,” he said.

Molinari doesn't claim a close relationship to iconic deli Molinari’s in San Francisco’s North Beach, but he certainly has family roots in the local deli business.

His family ran Rossi Deli in Napa from 1982 to 1992, and also operated the former , north on Main Street, which closed last year and is now the home of .

Molinari did his homework: He traveled the East and West coasts gathering ideas and tips on what it takes to make a success of a neighborhood coffeeshop/restaurant.

“I have done my research, and am ready to start my business. Napa is such a unique place, and I truly believe the community will support us,” Molinari told Napa Patch in February.

Do you subscribe to the Napa Patch newsletter? It brings our latest stories, blogs, announcements and the day's calendar events to your in-box early each morning. If you haven't signed up yet, you can do so by clicking here.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?