When Attorney David O’Neil built a retaining wall on the side of his Broadway professional office building a few years ago, his contractor wondered what he wanted to do with the little outdoor area next to the building.
O’Neil’s first answer was, “Nothing.”
However, that answer morphed into something and on Monday, a new Everett vibe had been firmly planted on a little space next to the building with Pricila Trancoso’s new Koffee N’Box outdoor café – based out of a container box and boasting several socially distanced tables on a sunny, outdoor space on a piece of land no one wanted previously.
“When I built the wall, my contractor, DeVincenzo & Sons asked me what I wanted to do with the space between the wall and the building and my first thought was ‘nothing,’” said O’Neil. “Dave DeVincenzo suggested I put in a little patio for people in the building to use, and it was a great idea because before COVID we had well over a hundred people through the building every day between employees, patients at Cambridge Health Alliance, Dr. Masucci’s pediatric practice and Everett Bank’s lending office. So we built the patio, and it came out so well that Pricila Trancoso approached me about doing something with a pop-up coffee shop.”
That’s where the vibe was born that played out Monday morning.
Trancoso came from Brazil 20 years ago, and is an accountant at her full-time job located in the same building. She said she has another coffee shop in Cambridge that is under renovations, but is a totally different concept.
This concept is more of an outdoor, seasonal coffee spot that is based out of a container shipping box creatively painted by an artist from Miami. The shop serves up coffee, pastries, and Acai bowls – to name a few things. The outdoor tables and lounging chairs sit perfectly in the morning and afternoon sun and Trancoso said she is just very grateful for the opportunity to do something against the grain for Everett.
“This idea is just one of the ideas that God gives me all the time,” she said. “I also have a business in Brazil too but I don’t have the expertise in this concept. What I have is a very good group of people helping me and supporting me and giving me direction to make this business successful.
“This is a good location and I think I can enclose it in the winter, but right now this is the place outdoors,” she continued.
For Mayor Carlo DeMaria, Koffee N’Box is the kind of vibe and business he has talked about since his re-election almost four years ago when he talked about his vision for locating container cafes and shops on the bike path and in Everett Square. The emergence of Koffee N’Box follows that vision and also shows great collaboration between a long-time property owner and an emerging professional/entrepreneur.
DeMaria thanked Trancoso for taking a chance in a very difficult time.
“It’s not easy to open a business, especially in these difficult times,” said the mayor. “Even myself, I’m in the coffee business and had to shut a couple stores down. I admire you for opening up during a pandemic and putting in the work to make this a success.”
O’Neil said he was happy to have worked so closely with the City – including ISD Inspector Mike Desmond, who helped ensure handicap access.
“The Mayor’s planning and inspectional services offices have been great to work with in getting the structure approved and running,” said O’Neil. “We are hoping the weather stays good well into winter so people can continue to be outside and enjoy a little bit of street life in Everett Square.”