Bonnie Saran, the chef/owner of Little Crepe Street and Little Kebab Station in Mount Kisco and Little Mumbai Market in Pleasantville, likes to joke there’s nothing pink about her, but when she was reimagining the kind of coffee shop she wanted, she had a vision — and that included pops of blush.
The result is the Little Pink Cup, a cafe/mocktail bar that opens 8 a.m. Dec. 23 in Mount Kisco in the spot Saran formerly ran as Little Spice Bazaar.
Think pink
Saran, known for her funky, street-style interiors, has once again put playfulness front and center with a thrift-store treasure hunt of mismatched, multicolored chairs, cheeky signage, and an unapologetic amount of pink. Think: a pink couch, chairs, lampshades, and even sunglasses along with a pink door.
Another funky touch: green moss on the ceiling, a mirror which reads “support your local caffeine dealer” and posters that say “Let no one steal your dreams,” I don’t drink coffee to wake up; I wake up to drink coffee,” and “Tell people you love them.”
Even her to-go cups have attitude with “Let’s spill the beans” emblazed on the front.
The cafe was designed to be like a living room starting with the two couches and coffee table to the left of the entrance. Plush seating lines the narrow stretch opposite the food counter, paired with small side tables, while a long wooden table in the back is ideal for remote work. There’s also counter seating, plus an elevated nook featuring a mural and two pink swivel chairs.
“I tried to make it comfortable so people can relax, enjoy the place and hang out,” said Saran.
She also wanted to recapture the cozy energy of the space’s previous incarnation, Little Spice Bazaar, which opened in 2012 and closed in 2020 due to the pandemic. “We were the first in the area to offer coffee, detox juices, and smoothies,” she said. “I always knew I wanted to revive that idea, just in a reimagined way.”
A European focus
That reimagining comes with elevated food and drinks infused with European flair. Pastries and breads are sourced from David Chiappinelli of Mount Kisco’s Bella Bake Shop, meaning alongside croissants and brioches, you’ll find inventive sandwiches crafted from his creations. Case in point: a steak, egg, and cheese combo served on a round Danish pastry specially made by Chiappinelli for Saran, and a reinvented shakshuka served in a hollowed-out croissant filled with egg, tomato, onions, San Marzano tomatoes, feta, and spices.
There’s also an ode to Saran’s appreciation for Italian sandwiches with the Giovanni Brothers (mortadella, pesto, pistachio cream, balsamic, crushed pistachios), My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean, a take on shrimp toast, and Talk to Me, Ana, inspired by Saran’s friend from Moldova, with apricot marmalade, turkey, pear, and honey. The latter is a favorite of Martha Stewart’s who, Saran said, stopped by early in her menu planning and enjoyed.
Saran has also gone out all out with her presentations, elevating a tuna salad sandwich in paper wrapped like a newspaper and boxing her Giovanni Brothers in packaging that reads “The Best.”
The menu — which will be limited to start — also features curry chicken and tea sandwiches like cucumber and cheese as well as overnight oats. The beauty of being adjacent to Little Crepe Street — an archway connects the two — means diners can also order from their menu as well as from Little Kebab Station, one door down.
I’ll drink to that
To pair with food, Little Pink Cup serves a globe-trotting coffee blend — from India, South America, and two Central American countries — alongside Brooklyn-based Doni tea. There’s a turmeric latte, plenty of matcha, and smoothies with cheeky names such as Pink Me Up (with dragon fruit), Fig Me Up (with figs and spinach), and Date Me (with dates among other ingredients).
But the real showstoppers? The mocktails dreamed up by Saran’s longtime staffer Manny Singh who admits he’s having a blast playing with flavors — think espresso martini, fig mocktail, and an eye-popping ube version— proving that even without booze, this menu knows how to dazzle. Singh said down the line, he plans to include non-alcoholic spirits like tequila, Bailey’s and vodka.
“No one else has a mocktail bar,” said Saran. “And with so many people not drinking, our goal is to offer something exciting and fun.”
If you go
Address: 27 E Main St., Mount Kisco, 914-292-5002, littlepinkcup.com.
Hours: 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Thursday; to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday; to 8 p.m. Sunday.
Good to know: The menu is limited during their soft opening phase, with brunch to be introduced most likely in April. There will also be outdoor seating. Come spring/summer, there will also be more mocktail options.
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Jeanne Muchnick covers food and dining. Click here for her most recent articles and follow her latest dining adventures on Instagram @jeannemuchnick or via the lohudfood newsletter
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Get the details on Westchester’s first mocktail bar, Little Pink Cup
Reporting by Jeanne Muchnick, Rockland/Westchester Journal News / Rockland/Westchester Journal News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
