For more than a decade, Allen and Leona Green waited for the perfect time to open a cafe using Leona’s family recipes that would offer a space for the community to socialize and work.

“For years I would tell [Leona], when we open a cafe, you have to sell your food—it’s so amazing,” Allen said. “So the cafe was a dream for 16 years and it finally came to fruition last year. I wanted a place where people could come to eat, and also to do whatever they’re doing in life.”

In February 2015, Cafe Marrese opened on Spring Cypress Road in Tomball. It has since added extended hours during the week as well as a drive-thru for to-go orders.

The menu includes several Italian-inspired dishes, such as pastas and flatbreads, in honor of Leona’s family in Naples. However, Allen said he and his wife also worked with their chef to make the menu eclectic to reflect different cultures.

“It’s not your traditional Italian [restaurant],” Allen said. “If you go to Italy today, there’s a lot of cuisines colliding, so it’s more of a modern-style Italian restaurant, which is really much more eclectic than people realize.”

Customer favorites include the Leona croissant $8, paninis $7-$9 and the Allen breakfast plate $8, which features waffles, two eggs, bacon or sausage and a caramel butter sauce.

Allen said the menu also includes several lower-calorie options, such as wraps and oatmeal, but he wanted to include a balance of healthy and decadent dishes to give customers a range of choices.

“People don’t eat one way,” he said. “During the week you might be really strict, but then on the weekend you treat yourself a bit. And I don’t want people to go to a different place to get healthy food or a different place to get unhealthy food.”

Cafe Marrese also features an extensive coffee menu using locally sourced coffee from Geva Coffee in downtown Houston and District Roasters in Tomball. Allen said the cafe’s baristas are specially trained to make a wide variety of drinks using unique flavors.

“We have a signature drink called the Marrese, which consists of a rosemary-infused honey latte,” he said. “It’s one of our top sellers, and we also make a wonderful Cuban. We even make drinks invented by customers just telling us what [theywould like in their coffee].”

The eatery has also installed high-speed Wi-Fi and workspaces, including a quiet room for studying and lecture hall next door for conferences and meetings. Whether people are coming in for a meal or to work, Green said he wanted customers to feel welcome and comfortable.

“What’s really important to us is the hospitality,” Allen said. “We train our staff to make people feel like guests. We wanted to have that same feeling you have if you were to visit our home when you come to the cafe.”

11729 Spring Cypress Road, Tomball 832-953-2900 www.cafemarrese.com Hours: Tue.-Thu. 6:30 a.m.-4 p.m., Fri. 6:30 a.m.-5 p.m., Sat. 8 a.m.-9 p.m., Sun. 8 a.m.-2 p.m., closed Monday