After over a year of construction and development, Magdalen’s Gallery and Espresso is open for business in downtown Lorain.
The coffee shop and gallery had a grand opening May 23 at its prime location on 633 Broadway, next to the Palace Theater.
“I’m excited to be open,” said owner Jason Shaffer. “I’ve been planning this for years, and the moment was finally right, and I don’t think there can ever be enough small businesses in one area.”
Magdalen’s is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday.
Shaffer, 44, named the business as a tribute to his late grandmother, Magdalen Shaffer.
“My grandma was such a cool, tough lady that would help anyone,” he said. “It seemed to fit, especially since her wedding ring was made here when it was Seymour’s Jewelers in the 1950s.
“This place has a lot of history for me.”
The coffee shop boasts a cool ambiance while staying focused on the quality of drinks.
“It’s going to be like a classic cafe, a very European-style menu, very espresso-driven,” Shaffer said. “We’re going to do some spicy drinks, a couple sweet drinks, but we’re not going to have any blended drinks or whipped cream.
“It’s just going to be a little bit more traditional.”
Aside from electrical and plumbing, the renovation was completed by Shaffer.
“It’s been a lot, because it has been just me,” he said. “I built everything in here, so it’s a lot of work for one person, but I’ve always been a coffee person and we needed a just coffee shop.”
Shaffer said he hopes the ambiance of Magdalen’s draws a fresh crowd.
“My people didn’t come here as much when we were just a photography studio and now they’ll be able to come out, enjoy themselves and have good coffee,” he said. “We want to keep it fresh and constantly bring out the people who may not normally hang out in downtown Lorain.”
The gallery aspect will function as a display for both Shaffer and other local artists.
“This main area will just be for my art, but we will shift the other gallery space every month or so to let artists host their own show,” Shaffer said. “We want to get them involved and let them bring out their family and friends.”
