CafeLaDeDa Now Open At Seastreak Ferry In Highlands

Seastreak Ferry now has a gourmet coffee & food concession at the terminal in Highlands, much to the delight of customers. CafeLaDeDa, who also operates a 100% designated gluten-free and Celiac-safe gourmet marketing & bakery at 71 Waterwitch Avenue, Highlands, opened Thursday December 8. To mark the occasion, the café provided 100 free coffees starting with the early ferry runs at 5 a.m. The terminal is located at 326 Shore Drive, Highlands, NJ 07732.

CafeLaDeDa Founder Grace Sepe is ecstatic about the new location, as many ferry customers had been requesting that Seastreak add food and coffee service. “I am extremely happy and grateful to Seastreak. It is an honor to be here, but most importantly, CafeLaDeDa has a great opportunity to provide an amenity to Seastreak customers who certainly deserve upscale service and convenience.”

Sepe is a lifelong entrepreneur and successful businesswoman but definitely has food in her blood. She is also known as the ‘gluten free guru.’ While most of the items offered at the concession are gluten-free and delicious, there are also other choices including vegan, dairy-free, and keto. Many people who hurriedly purchased food on opening day circled back to the concession and remarked how delicious everything was. Afficionado is the exclusive coffee purveyor for CafeLaDeDa.

CafeLaDeDa at Seastreak Ferry will be more than just a simple morning concession. Sepe is creating a QR code-driven system which will enable pre-ordering of not only coffee and breakfast in the morning, but also prepared meals in the evening. To support other local businesses, Sepe will feature the cuisine of a different restaurant every week at the café. Riders will be able to exit the ferry and enjoy prepared meals from their favorite eateries without having to make extra stops on the way home. The enhanced client service experience and support of local enterprises will not stop there. Sepe is also curating a unique collection of merchandise from local businesses which will change with the season, bringing even more convenience and ease for riders.

In the future, CafeLaDeDa will also open a concession at the Seastreak Ferry terminal in Belford, NJ. Announcements will be forthcoming on social media.

“I am grateful to Seastreak for this amazing opportunity and to be aligned with a company who cares about providing more amenities to clients. I aim to provide ‘the ultimate food service,” Sepe added.

Local businesses interested in partnering with CafeLaDeDa or for general information, visit the website at www.cafeladeda.com or email Grace Sepe at cafeladeda1@gmail.com. Updates on the opening date of the concession at Seastreak Belford will be available on Instagram and Facebook.

The Story Of CafeLaDeDa

Sepe started CafeLaDeDa in early 2016 in Middletown, NJ. After the closure of her original location due to the pandemic and increasing demands for gluten-free fare outpacing her second location in North Middletown, Sepe moved her base of operations to Highlands. Her new gourmet market and bakery at 71 Waterwitch Avenue in Highlands offers 100% gluten-free products including fresh baked goods, snacks, packaged treats, pasta, elegant charcuterie boards, an array of decadent desserts, and prepared meals like gourmet pizzas and sandwiches.

Many locals became fans of CaféLaDeDa over the summer as the mobile catering truck was stationed at ‘The Sandbox’ at Seastreak. The food truck is available to the public for private parties and events.