Owner Amber Boland.

June will be the one-year anniversary since Amber opened The Nest Kitchen & Café on South Main Street in Hanover. She says it was a difficult undertaking during the pandemic. Yet, when she heard from the  Hanover Improvement Society that there was a vacancy, the idea that the community might enjoy and benefit from a café that made great sandwiches and salads and had an espresso bar and beer on tap helped Amber decide she was up for the challenge. After all, she already had experience and a roadmap from opening and running Blue Sparrow Kitchen, which has been going strong in Norwich, Vermont, since 2018. Since opening The Nest, business has been on the upswing. Word travels fast in a college town when good food is the topic of conversation. But it’s best to be like the early bird because the café serves only breakfast and lunch, Tuesday through Sunday, 8 am to 3 pm. Some of the more popular choices on the menu are the Bacon Chili Avocado breakfast sandwich and the Turkey Bacon Avocado lunch sandwich, but Amber says that if customers give the BBQ Tempeh Sandwich or the Smokey Beet Reuben a try, they may have a new favorite. There are burritos and quesadillas, bagels and wraps, hot or cold sandwiches, Smashburger, and at least four ways to enjoy your avocado toast with an early morning latte or a late afternoon beer.

Head barista Tess Holbrook fills orders for espresso.

 

The Nest café space is also available for individual and smaller corporate events and can comfortably accommodate about 40 people. Still, a variety of sandwiches and beverages are the headliners, so day-hikers can always call ahead and place a café order for a day on the trails. Students and parents can happen by for a made-to-order spontaneous picnic lunch to enjoy on-site or on the green.

Customers at the bakery counter have to make tough choices.

Whatever The Nest is providing, Amber’s priorities are clear: she wants to bring people together, serve them good food, and have fun doing it. She calls The Nest a “community-oriented café and sandwich shop,” meaning not only is it there for the community, but it is part of the community—on both sides of the counter. Amber hopes people come and enjoy the food and the space and feel they can engage with the other community members who are eating or working there if that’s something they’d enjoy. “At a lot of places, the baristas have their back to you when they’re making drinks, but here, it’s set up like a bar so everyone can see exactly what’s going on and maybe even have a conversation when someone is making their drink or sandwich. Our staff has a strong work ethic and a team culture, and we have fun! I give them the opportunity and encouragement to try new things and contribute, whether it’s new sandwich ideas, specialty drinks, or making things more efficient.”