Home-style cooking and a family atmosphere was the dream long time Forest Grove community member and business owner Carey Lafave had in mind when she opened the doors to Diversity Cafe.
Located on the corner of 21 Avenue and Main Street, the Diversity Cafe officially began serving the public in July, 2017. Lafave, who has lived in the area for over 25 years, said there is no place she would have rather opened up shop.
“I love the small town feel of Forest Grove,” Lafave said. “And I love the diversification.”
Serving breakfast, lunch and dinner daily, with a multitude of menu items and consistently updated weekly specials, Lafave works to keep the overall taste at Diversity Cafe new and fresh.
“It’s comfort food from around the world,” Lafave said. “Its like going to Grandma’s house and having her cook your
favorite meal.”
According to Lafave, the specialty menu items that keep customers and patrons of Diversity Cafe coming back time and again include the Steak and Mac and Cheese with special cheese sauce and the restaurant’s classic take on the French Dip Sandwich. Specially smoked in-house brisket is also largely incorporated into the menu at Diversity Cafe.
“The biggest thing is we’re not fast food,” Lafave said. “We’re real food.”
The Diversity Cafe also offers a number of vegetarian and vegan menu options, including salads, garden burgers, eggplant burgers and fish tacos. Lafave said she hopes to continue to build the vegetarian and vegan menu options in the future.
Lafave recently partnered Diversity Cafe with Next Dimension Bakery, located also in Forest Grove on Pacific Avenue. Next Dimension Bakery supplies Diversity Café with baked goods and desserts. For Lafave, the partnership goes towards building community and supporting local business.
“It comes down to locality,” Lafave said. “I want to do things that support local business.”
Connected to Diversity Cafe is a bar and lounge area for those over 21, with 12 beers on tap and a number of mixed drinks and spirits. Lafave hopes to utilize the bar area in the near future by hosting weekly karaoke nights, dart leagues and live musical performances.
Lafave is also currently in the process of renovating the event center connected to Diversity Cafe, which will soon act as headquarters for catering orders as well as a space for friends and families of the community to come together and share in karaoke nights and or live musical performances.
According to Lafave, the goal is to keep the menu fresh and affordable. She hopes to incorporate deals for Pacific University students into the menu in the future and continue to connect with other local businesses in the community.
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