What's your pre-Pettirosso history?

I had a coffee cart in the original REI store down the block for eight years, where Value Village now is. Before that, I just had a love of quality coffee and the European tradition of treating coffee shops as community institutions. Coffeehouses at their best have the feel of a small town, where, as the song goes, "everybody knows your name." I wanted to create that sort of gathering place for people.

How has Pettirosso changed over the last 10 years to accommodate your goal?

Well, when we opened up here, the space was a converted garage with a big garage door and an area half our current size. I work with a fine artist/faux artisan who helped me expand into the little hallway next to the garage for more space. Then three years ago we started offering breakfast bagels to accompany our Caffe Vita coffee, and that expanded into lunch items and baked goods. Now we bake everything fresh here except our French pastries, which we get from Le Fournil. Danell Baker, who used to bake at La Panzanella, is going to add soups to the menu soon. So gradually we've added space for people to linger, and good food for them to linger over. I've decided not to add Wi-Fi. I don't want to see one person per table, all on computers. I guess that sounds strange since sitting alone and reading seems like a totally acceptable pastime to me.

Why did you name your shop Pettirosso?

It means "robin" in Italian, or more accurately, "red breast."