Come On Up To The Rising Sun Cafe

BROOKSVILLE - When John Callea sat down for his first cup of coffee at the Rising Sun Cafe, he knew then it was going to be the place to start his day.

That was before he met his wife, Lisa, who co-owned the restaurant.

The two began dating and soon married.

Now John spends virtually the entire workday there - opening, serving, managing and closing.

"This place is ripe for someone to come in and take advantage of it," he said.

Callea wasn't just referring to the Rising Sun, located at 10 S. Main St., he was talking about downtown Brooksville.

While a young man living in Buffalo, N.Y., he would vacation in Florida, but never in Hernando County. After spending a few weeks in Brooksville three years ago, he wished he had visited earlier. It would have been his regular hang out year after year.

"I saw the charm," Callea recalled. "It's laid-back, Southern. I would have vacationed here all the time."

Lisa Callea opened the cafe with a friend before she met her husband. When her business partner sold her stake in the business to go into retail, the newlyweds took it over and decided to expand on a few ideas.

The menu, which is still a work-in-progress, has become more diverse. It includes more soups, salads, sandwiches and wraps.

There also is a breakfast and coffee selection. It has become the best place in the city to buy a cup of joe and a cinnamon roll.

The hours also will change. Instead of closing at 2:30 p.m. each day, the cafe will remain open until 5:30 p.m.

John Callea wanted some help to promote downtown Brooksville so he turned to his competition. Instead of feeling threatened by the establishment of a new restaurant, he sees the owners of the nearby G.M.'s Bistro up the street as collaborators for the greater good.

He wants everyone to succeed, which in turn, would help boost the downtown area, he said.

The two restaurants will aim to bring more and more people to Brooksville, not just those who work at the local offices and courthouse. It's time the area attracted more people after dark, or at least after work hours and during the weekends, he said.

"We hope to bring more weekend activity," Callea said. "We want to host some festivals ... and start having parties here."

Every third Friday at the Rising Sun, there is a gathering for young adults called "Fridays at the Sun." There is live music and food available. The project started earlier this year and already the crowds have swelled to more than 75 people, he said. That is with little advertising outside of posters and the Sun's MySpace page.

Callea also hopes to introduce a "Geezer's Night" for older singles and couples.

Each day, there are seven basic coffee flavors available in the cafe. With the various syrups, there could be more than a hundred options.

There also will be a place in the rear of the restaurant for the purchase of local arts and crafts. It's a model the owners borrowed from Cracker Barrel - a restaurant with a gift shop.

The owners are devout Christians and have no intention of serving anything more than coffee, smoothies and breakfast and lunch food. There will be no spirits coming from inside the cafe, they said.

"When you come from a big town, you forget you can come into a coffee house for a couple hours and know everyone by name," Callea said.

That coffee-house atmosphere is what made him fall in love with the Rising Sun and downtown Brooksville. It reminded him of the years he spent working as a stockbroker in Denver.

Whenever he needed a breather from the hustle and bustle of his workday, he would escape to one of the downtown establishments, which looked eerily similar to the inside of his cafe. It brought back some warm memories.

Now Callea wants to experience that everyday with his wife, friends and customers.

"We're here to stay," he said.

Biz at a glance:

Name of biz - Rising Sun Cafe

Owners - John and Lisa Callea

Where it is - 10 S. Main St. in Brooksville

What it is - coffee house that serves breakfast and lunch

Hours of operation - 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday

Get in touch - 352-848-0090