Who’s Behind the Counter: Yvonne Hadaway at Café di Roma

Catonsville Patch: How long have you been in business in Catonsville?

Yvonne Hadaway:  We opened Café di Roma in August 2008.

Patch:  Why did you choose Catonsville? 

Hadaway:  My sister and brother-in-law own this building.  The salon next door, Bertamini’s, belongs to her.  She is Janet Bertamini.  Anyway, this store was a bait and tackle shop for a long time, but then the owner retired and closed the business, and Janet and her husband, Doug Smith, wanted to open a little Italian café here.  I was working for a restaurant in Baltimore, and they asked me to come and be the working partner.

Patch:  Why an Italian café?

Hadaway:  We have family in Italy and we love traveling there. 

Janet Bertamini:  We wanted to bring authentic gelato and a little European/Italian flair to Catonsville.

Patch:  What do you like about being in Catonsville?

Hadaway:  It is a family-oriented town.  People are great here.  Our customers like to patronize the small businesses not the big chains.  For a small business, it’s critical.

Patch:  What services do you do?

Hadaway:  The most important thing I do is I make the gelato on site, using real gelato machines from Italy.  I took a three day course in North Carolina to learn how.  I make up recipes of my own as well as doing the authentic Italian flavors.

We have coffee drinks and brewed coffee. I make soup every day and all the salads: shrimp, chicken, egg, and tuna. We buy our baked goods, but they are fresh every day.

Patch:  What’s a typical day like?

Hadaway:  We open at 6 a.m. on weekdays and a little later on the weekends.  We stay open until 10 p.m. every day.  I’m not here all the time; I have about six employees and my daughters help out too.

Patch:  What is your busiest time of year?

Hadaway:  Summer is busiest in the evening, but it’s steady all year long during the day. 

Patch:  Do you have a signature service or specialty thing you do?

Hadaway:  Gelato for sure. 

Bertamini:  Gelato is lower in calories and fat than ice cream: only 160 calories and 8 grams of fat in a small [size].  We also have sorbet for people who are lactose intolerant, and we do fruit smoothies with no added sugar.

Hadaway:  My sister is very health conscious!

Patch:  What’s one of the hardest things about your work?

Hadaway:  Ask my employees and my kids; I worry about everything.  I worry all the time if the customers like the food.  I worry that we are going to run out of things.  I’m always going to the store.

Sometimes it gets very busy and then it’s hard to do everything.  The worst time was during Hurricane Irene when we had power and everyone was coming in.  We had lines out the door.  My employee, Kim Turner, had come in for a coffee and ended up working for six hours!

Patch:  What are you most proud of?

Hadaway:  I had a customer come in and say, “I’ve had a lot of gelato, including in Italy, and yours is top notch.”

Patch:  Do you have any specials or loyalty programs for customers?

Hadaway:  Brewed coffee is half price on Monday and Wednesday.

Patch:  What are you looking forward to?

Hadaway: I hope the business will grow:  more customers, more variety in the menu, maybe more things for little kids.

Patch:  What is one thing you think is needed in the business community?

Hadaway:  I would love to see even more business on Edmondson Avenue.  We support each other here.  I love Scittino’s Italian Grocery; I’ll go down and pick up something to take home for dinner, and he’ll come here and get his coffee.

Patch:  What’s your favorite thing about your work?

Bertamini:  We are a family and a community gathering place.  Our kids hang out here.  Kids from the middle school stop here on their way home.  Parents will bring the kids to Opies or Tastee Zone and then stop here for a coffee and gelato for themselves. 

Hadaway:  My favorite thing is my customers.  I get to meet and talk to such great people.  I could never sit behind a desk all day.  I like to learn about people’s lives; it’s nice.