Student-managed cafe opens in restored Latrobe bakery building

A downtown Latrobe building where residents once stopped to get pastries is the city’s newest spot for coffee, tea and sandwiches.

Rachelle’s 15650, a cafe operated by students from nearby Saint Vincent College, will have a grand opening from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday in the former Mailey’s Bakery, 335 Main St.

“I think it’s pretty exciting,” said owner John Baran, a Latrobe native who worked for more than a year to restore and bring life to the ornate 19th century building.

Working with the Latrobe Community Revitalization Program, Baran connected with Saint Vincent and four students who, rather than simply landing internships, have formed the management team of the new eatery.

The team includes juniors Emily Bosche of Harrisburg, Matthew Klasnic of Latrobe and Matthew Minkin of York, along with senior Matthew Furer of Altoona. They’re serving as general manager, operational manager, frontline manager and financial manager, respectively.

“It’s a real pleasure to work with these young adults,” Baran said. “They’re so bright, and they brought so much energy to the table. They’re running the show.”

The students have completed barista training and met with vendors to stock the cafe.

“They run it like a small company,” Baran said. “I just check on it once a week.”

Baran dubbed the cafe with a combination of his daughter’s name and Latrobe’s ZIP code. “It’s for good luck,” he said.

While the students gain valuable experience operating a small business, Baran expressed hope “they’re going to run it until they graduate and then pass it on to the next generation of students.”

Rachelle’s offers seating for dine-in patrons under a restored tin ceiling. It had a soft opening this week and will operate 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursdays, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sundays.

The cafe can be reached at 724-879-4844.