Photo by James Short.
Sweet Briar Café owners Chad and Kristen Reese discuss the upcoming summer season, expansion efforts, and giving back to the community.
For more than a decade, area residents have flocked to Sweet Briar Café on Lindenwold Avenue to indulge their sweet tooths and enjoy an affordable menu of comfort foods. And now, owners Chad and Kristen Reese have their eyes set on the future — as well as ways to give back to the community they love so much.
“Ambler is not only where we operate our business, but where we live and raise our family,” Kristen said. “One of the greatest honors of running a business in Ambler is being a witness to how the community shows up for one another. We are a tight knit community of neighbors who support one another in any way we can.”
Sweet Briar Café was established in 2012 by founders Frank and Jeanette Talese. One year later, Chad was hired on as their chef, where he worked hand in hand with Frank and Jeanette until Frank’s untimely passing in 2017. Roughly 14 months later, Chad and Kristen purchased the business, and they’ve strived to maintain the standards that have made the restaurant a neighborhood favorite.
The restaurant currently serves breakfast and lunch every day, as well as dinner Tuesdays through Saturdays. They also have a walk-up ice cream window, they’ve added a mobile ice cream cart, and they’ve been expanding their extensive catering services in recent years to include everything from corporate gatherings and in-home events.
“We aim for menu items and specials that remind our guests of home cooked comfort food,” Kristen said. “And there is one thing that Amblerites let us know each week: that our weekend brunches are a town favorite!”
The Reese family said they’ve recently started paying special attention to their ice cream sundaes, and their current best seller is “hands down” their hand-spun milkshakes at their ice cream window. Other favorites include their omelets and burgers, as well as their scrapple eggs benedict.
With the warmer months on the horizon, the Reese family said they’re preparing for their busy season, while also looking to expand their catering efforts and add a second mobile ice cream cart.
“Heading into spring and summer, [it’s] always an exciting time for us,” Kristen said. “The hustle and bustle of the ice cream window and the patio is hard work, but a time our whole staff really enjoys.”
It takes a village
One major point of emphasis for Chad and Kristen has been to give back to the community wherever they can. In recent years, the Reese family has provided support to the Wissahickon Valley Boys & Girls Club, as well as the Kelly Anne Dolan Memorial Fund.
Those efforts also included work with former Philadelphia 76er Jimmy Butler — which led to the aptly-named “The Butler” breakfast sandwich — as well the Dolan Fund’s annual “Taste” fundraiser.
“The Kelly Anne Dolan Memorial Fund had held a special place in former owners Frank and Jeanette's hearts, and for that reason, when we took over, we committed to keeping that relationship going,” Kristen said.
Other outreach efforts have included support for local sports, clubs, and organizations, as well as donating the cost for a new sign at the front of the Ambler Borough Police Department.
“We believe in ‘doing better;’ to always be able to see one another through a lens of love and inclusivity,” Kristen said. “All of these ideals lead to connection, and connections and connectivity is what makes our business thrive.”
Sweet Briar Café is located at 11 Lindenwold Avenue in Ambler Borough. Their hours of operation are Sunday and Monday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Tuesday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
“We feel grateful and proud each day to serve our community in a way that honors them, and we could not be luckier to call Ambler our home,” Kristen said. “The residents and business owners of this town are the backbone of its revival. It is their blood, sweat and hard work that has given us a beautiful downtown.”
To learn more about Sweet Briar Café, click here to visit their website or here to follow them on Facebook.
