Entrepreneur Magdalena Pasciak is in the final stages of completing Cafesphere, a modern European-style café featuring a menu of Italian coffee drinks, loose leaf teas, sweet and savory croissants, locally sourced cakes and pastries, zero proof cocktails, and a menu of French baguettes, located at 25 East State Street in Media, PA.

The 1,500-square-foot two story café with a roof deck is slated to open in mid-October. Pasciak’s dream of owning a café has been percolating for a while. “I fell in love with America’s café culture when I first came to this country as an au pair in 2004,” said Pasciak. “I never experienced anything like this. In Poland, where I’m from, going out for coffee is more of an event. Here, the coffee shop serves as a community hub.”

Pasciak and her husband, Pawel, a contractor and developer acquired the multi-use commercial/residential building in 2022 and went to work transforming it into a sophisticated 60-seat modern café that exudes European charm. “I would describe it as modern with traditional design elements — polished but not trendy,” noted Pasciak. Cozy nooks and comfortable seating arrangements are scattered throughout the bi-level coffee shop. Large windows and skylights bathe the space in natural light, adding a touch of openness and tranquility.

The ground floor boasts primarily banquette-style seating for 30 guests, complete with dark walnut wall paneling, furniture with velvet green accents, and black and white mosaic flooring. One wall is dominated by a large mural of “Media’s hidden treasures” created by Claudia Buchanan, a local artist/art educator and member of the Media Arts Council. Upstairs, a cozy mezzanine level features a fireplace, a comfy couch and additional seating, and an area that Pasciak has named “mini-sphere” — a miniature coffee bar just for kids to play and hang out. While parents enjoy their coffee, the little ones can enjoy chocolate milk, hot chocolate and healthy snacks.

On the second floor, customers are treated to an expansive 400 square-foot roof deck with expansive views of downtown Media. The space and décor were designed by Kaminski + Pew, an award-winning architecture and interior design firm based in Philadelphia. Restaurant consultant and former multi-location coffeeshop owner Angela Vendetti played a key role in the overall planning.

Cafesphere will serve coffee drinks with beans sourced from OX Coffee, an independent specialty roaster in Philadelphia, along with fair trade and organic loose leaf teas, including matcha, chai, as well as raspberry herbata, which is a Polish specialty. Pasciak is also excited to highlight local guest roasters that rotate seasonally. Other menu highlights include sweet and savory croissants; zero proof cocktails; a French baguette menu; as well as yogurt parfaits; vanilla custard beignets; and mousse cakes from Cake & Joe in Philadelphia that Pasciak says “are almost too pretty to eat.”

Pasciak’s foray into the café business took two decades to materialize. Born in Poland, she emigrated to Philadelphia after graduating from college in 2004. She worked first as an au pair, then at a juice bar, a car dealership and even launched a cleaning business on the Main Line. She met her husband Pawel in Philly’s large Polish community in Port Richmond. The two married in 2013 and a year later started a successful property management and construction business together, flipping homes and renovating and managing property primarily in Delaware County where they now live with their two young daughters, ages two and five.

“I don’t find a lot of great coffee in the suburbs where I live, so I wanted to create a place where I could go to enjoy excellent coffee with exceptional pastries and snacks, where my kids can also hang out and have some fun. My hope is that the community welcomes us with open arms and enjoys the vibe, the coffee and the whole experience as much as we’ve loved building this new addition to the neighborhood. We’re super excited to get open in a few weeks!”

With her desire to be a community gathering space, Pasciak welcomes private event reservations outside of regular business hours, and small group events up to 12 on the mezzanine space.

Cafesphere will be open seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.

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