When Erika and Peter Steele learned about Just Love Coffee Cafe, they were not only sold on the menu but on the company’s values.
“Their core values are to be excellent, be genuine and be a catalyst for love,” Erika said. “There are fewer things that could have stood out more than those core values to my husband and I. It aligned with who we are as people and how we try to live our lives.”
Just Love Coffee Cafe is scheduled to open in late January 2022 at 12525 Old Meridian St. The coffee shop features several waffle dishes and its own specialty coffee.
Erika said the restaurant was founded to help the owner fund an international adoption agency.
“When it took off, he said he wanted to help others do this,” Erika said. “When they developed the franchise model, they realized the franchisees were each going to have their own passions. They don’t tell us how they want us to give back, but it’s something they instill. They choose franchisees that will make a difference in their community and be involved in their community and support community initiatives.”
Erika ran a nonprofit in Houston before the couple moved to Whitestown more than a year ago. Her husband works in information technology for an Indianapolis company.
“I’ve been meeting with nonprofits to see which ones we want to partner with,” Erika said.
The Carmel restaurant will be the 30th location for the company, which is based in the Nashville, Tenn. area. The Steeles first visited the leadership team in Nashville and tasted the menu items and the roasted coffee. They have since visited several other locations.
“The food is fun,” Erika said. “Everything we cook on our menu is cooked on a waffle iron. We have a wide arrangement of waffles, but we also have salads, sandwiches, paninis and wraps. The coffee is phenomenal.”
Erika said the couple is excited about the location.
“It’s right in the center of a huge residential area with great apartment complexes and retirement facilities,” Erika said. “When we found this location, we felt we hit the jackpot.”
Erika, a Center Grove High School and Purdue University graduate, moved to Houston to work for NASA. She met her husband there. The couple has 13-year-old twins, Caleb and Rebecca, who attend Zionsville West Middle School.
Table and counter seating are planned for 88 people. There also will be a private dining or party area along with a pet-friendly patio.
For more, visit justlovecoffeecafe.com/carmel.
