The neighborhood coffee shop as an art

SPARTA — It’s a family affair at Cloveberry on Main Street in Sparta. With a successful year under their belt, the Mehta’s are looking forward to bringing more to the table at this unique coffeehouse which also serves artisanal food and baked goods.
Each educated with hospitality degrees from New York and Switzerland universities, owners Dev Mehta, Meeta Mehta and Georgia Mehta collectively have over 20 years in the service industry working in luxury hotels the Plaza and Ritz Carlton.
They have operated their own cafes and food establishments in New York and abroad, but a lifestyle change brought them to Sparta allowing them to introduce their dual concept of serving high quality organic coffee and putting the customer first.
In 2001, Dev and his wife Georgia left their hotel positions in New York City to open Moxa, a café in Greenwich Village. Meanwhile sister Meeta with over 12 years in the business, returned to Mumbai, India to expand the brand and operate two cafes there.
“We quit our corporate jobs thinking if we are going to work 80 hours a week, why not do it for ourselves,” said Dev Mehta. “I always loved coffee and wanted to know more about the process.”
Residents of Sparta since 2006, the Mehta’s were tired of commuting into New York City. When their lease ran out ten years after opening, it was time to think out the next step.
After a six-month break during which they researched upscale towns in northern New Jersey, Dev’s wife Georgia convinced him to take a chance on their hometown.
“Initially I wasn’t sure about Sparta, because I did not see people walking around, plus with the tough economy, but I am very impressed with the clientele. We introduced them to better coffee and food, and the response has been great,” he said.

Vacation in a cup

Cloveberry is an independent third-wave shop where coffee is treated like wine. The beans are organically cultivated in Costa Rica, Guatemala and Brazil. “Like wine, the beans are from small farms where the farmer takes care of the trade value. We offer a farm to cup experience — our coffee is never more than two days old. The beans are roasted yesterday at a 100 year-old roaster in Manhattan, and we get them today,” said Dev Mehta. Other key factors for great taste are temperature control and maximizing the different flavors beans can yield.
A specialized $3,000 water filtration system on premise strips the water of everything and blends the right minerals for a good base. With a small cup of coffee costing $1.75, Mehta is competitive with the chain coffee shops. “Coffee is 98 percent water, and the water is naturally too hard here, so our system takes care of that. At Cloveberry, we are bringing a better way of coffee to you,” said Dev Mehta. “I give people vacation in a cup.”

And a little something to eat

As excited as Dev is about his coffee production, he is equally proud of the cook in the house. All of the pastries, cakes, cookies, muffins and scones are baked by Georgia Mehta. With an emphasis on organic and natural, you won’t find a microwave at Cloveberry. She also cooks creative egg sandwiches, and lunch featuring salads, soups and sandwiches. There is full service and take-out with catering available also.
“We try to do farm to table food and drinks. Most of our packaging is eco-friendly, and we use local products as much as possible,” said Meeta Mehta who does the front of the house operations, but also assists in kitchen prep. “Everything is made from scratch — you won’t find this anywhere else.”
With a three-tiered approach to their business, this team has the family dynamic all worked out. Meeta is the marketing and face of the business while Georgia is the backbone of the kitchen doing all the cooking. And Dev uses his economic and background as the financial and business planner.
“We have three different expertises that complement each other,” said Meeta Mehta. “We don’t fight about money. We all have a passion for this business. Having worked in five-star properties, our personalities are genuine,” she said. “We are a neighborhood shop building relationships. People make Cloveberry a part of their day. We have made amazing friends in this business.”