Sweet Leaf Café Open For Business

Siblings Andre and Arita Matini got a taste of the restaurant business when their family first opened the McLean restaurant Sweet Stuff in 1994.

But after graduating from college, the siblings decided they wanted a venture of their own. They opened up Sweet Leaf Café, a spinoff of the restaurant, in McLean in 2009, but recently thought their Vienna neighbors could use a similar community cafe, too.

“We were born and raised in McLean, we went to Langley High School and we figured the best place to open a second cafe would be Vienna,” said Arita, who co-owns the shop with her brother Andre. “Everyone is really friendly and family-oriented and it’s a family-owned business, we figured why not come to Vienna.  That’s what brought us here.”

The siblings opened Sweet Leaf Café's second location at the intersection of Glyndon Street and Maple Avenue this past weekend, filling what they called a void in fast, healthy lunchtime options in town.

“A lot of places in Vienna are fast food but not necessarily healthy and fresh,” Arita said. “Our goal was to just bring something that’s convenient, fresh, fast. We are a community cafe. We love small communities and bringing fresh food to them.”

Customers crowded the cafe's counter during a hot and sweltering lunch hour on Tuesday, just days after it opened for business. The green walls and sleek, brown wooden tables provide an inviting modern theme, with enough space for the whole family to chow down.

Their wide array of coffee, tea and seasonal soups offer "grab and go" options, as do their cupcakes, frozen yogurt and ice cream.  “Signature Leaf” dishes allow customers to customize their salads, sandwiches and paninis with vegetables, beans, artichokes and other specialty items. Customers watch employees prepare their food in an assembly line, either from the menu or with any numbers of additions or subtractions.

“Our main focus is just making sure that everything is fresh. Everything in line you see is that delivered that day,” Matini said. “Fresh produce, fresh everything. We also really value people being able to create their own thing, I never turn something down.  If you don’t see your favorite combo on the menu we’ll make it for you right there.”

Sweet Leaf Café is open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays, at 262 Maple Ave E. (the corner of Glyndon and Maple Avenue).