If you had all but given up on finding the small-town community atmosphere around Ithaca, well I am here to tell you that it is alive and well at Adam’s Corners Café. From the homemade baked goods to the regulars, Adam’s is everything you could want in a local café. And like all small businesses it has a story. Let me tell you the story, perhaps over a cup of tea and a delicious fresh baked scone.
I am already a fan of the small café scene, but there is something extra special about Adam’s. The only place in town that offers a build-your-own breakfast sandwich option with all homemade ingredients, including eggs made fresh to order, Adams has a wholesome reality to it. The selection of fresh made from scratch baked goods alone is reason to come by frequently as the selection changes daily. The food isn’t the only thing that is special though, according to Adam and Hope hospitality is a dying art and they are actively engaged in bringing it back. I would have to say that based off my time in the café I think they are doing a great job at this. Their good treatment of people doesn’t stop with their paying customers either, to quote Adam directly “We are concerned with treating our employees just as well as our customers, this is a family here”!
This story actually starts, not with Adam Ciaschi, the current owner and manager but with Hope Rich back in the year 1994. That year Hope opened a small café in the Triphammer Mall called Hope’s Way, you might have heard of it. Her business thrived and continued smoothly for 16 years becoming a well-known establishment here in Ithaca. In 2010 she decided to sell the business to Ithaca Bakery, and as part of the transaction signed a non-compete agreement, not allowing her to start a new business or work in food service for the next four years. She turned her attentions elsewhere for a time, but never truly turned her back on hospitality. Six years later in 2016 she was ready to start over. So determined was she that when the bank told her no, for a business loan she turned to other means. Undeterred she sold her house to fund the opening of her business under a new name; Hope’s Events & Catering. This time around her dreams of owning and operating a business in Community Corners came true and she was able to re-open directly across from Flower Fashions and next door to HPM Tech Services, where Adam’s resides today. Still operating a small café seating area yet focused on catering she was back in business and content to throw everything she had into bringing joy to people through food yet again. She was doing well, seemingly picking up where she left off with her customer base from six years prior, then COVID hit. There is no need to explain that this was a tough time for everyone, especially for the food service business. Despite sudden closures and social isolation, Hope decided to hire Adam on full time with the idea that he could take over the business when she retired. Hope’s plan was to move to North Carolina to be closer to her parents and to get away from the long New York winters.
Adam and Hope struggled through the pandemic and to their surprise, they not only did well but they thrived! This was accomplished through creativity, determination and a lot of hard work. Remembering how desperate we all were to just be able to eat food prepared by someone else, it was this that Hope capitalized on. They advertised homecooked meals for pick-up one day of the week and spent the week leading up to each Friday preparing these meals to be hot and ready for their customers. And people eagerly ordered, willing to pay for the blessing of hot food prepared for them! And it was a blessing in a dreary difficult time. With their success, they expanded one day at a time, until they were able to open their doors to normal business hours and eventually open up the seating area again. This effort and care on the part of Hope and Adam made an impression on the neighborhood. When other restaurants and cafes started opening their doors again, people remembered the offerings from Hope’s Events & Catering and returned to give their business to them.
Hope eventually did move to North Carolina selling the business to Adam who changed the name to Adams Corner’s Café. Finding himself running his own business was a dream come true for Adam Ciaschi, who has his own journey that brought him to where he is today. Adam has much experience in the restaurant business, having worked at well known restaurants in the area such as The Station and the Lehigh Valley House. He worked for a time at the local sandwich shop owned by his cousin Rick Ciaschi, JJ’s Café, where he perfected his sandwich making craft that he now utilizes to great benefit here at the café. Owning and operating a bakery café was quite the adjustment for Adam who was used to late nights in the restaurant world, but he has adjusted, and he enjoys having more flexibility in his evenings now. Adam quickly gained experience the year that Hope was down south, but after five months Hope discovered that North Carolina was not for her. To her surprise she missed Ithaca, so she moved back to the area and approached Adam, who graciously offered her a job working for him. As the saying goes, the student had now become the master. In some cases, a role reversal such as this might cause tension, however in this case Adam and Hope make a great team. They each bringing a wealth of expertise and community influence with them and they have learned how to work seamlessly together and are happy with the arrangement.
Adams Corners Café gives back to the community in many ways because they truly care about the people who live in it. They are a friendly, inviting place for residents to gather and enjoy good food. They are a very convenient destination for those needing fasting blood work done next door at the CMC facilities. They have also continued to offer fully cooked meals to order, for select Holidays. For Special days like Thanksgiving and Christmas one can order a homecooked dinner for just themselves or for a crowd similar to how they were operating during COVID. This is a great option for some of the elderly residents that are unable or don’t care to cook for themselves on the holidays. Adams also employs community members, as all of their current employees live nearby.
Hope tells me that she loves the small community ambiance, and that is evident in the way she has conducted business all these years. Adam has continued in perfecting the craft and gaining the trust and love of their customers. They both wish to thank each and every one of their customers for their business! Adam’s Corners café is located in Community Corners. You can find an online menu where you can order for pick-up at the following link: https://adams-107300.square.site/ or if you prefer you can call (607)319-4091. Their hours are Monday through Friday 8am – 3 pm and Saturday 8am – noon.
