'People have been anxiously waiting': New coffee shop, pizzeria opening downtown - Albert Lea Tribune (2024)

After months of preparation and revitalization, Albert Lea’s newest downtown restaurant establishment has opened to the public.

Cento Wood-Fired Pizza and Cafe is in the former Jacobson Building at 211 S. Broadway and features a cafe in the front, selling coffee and baked goods, and a pizzeria in the back, with everything from specialty co*cktails to appetizers, wood-fired pizza, salads, pastas and other dishes.

The cafe portion opened on Thursday at 6 a.m. for a soft opening and was also slated to be open from 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday and Saturday. The pizzeria was open by reservation only at this time, and General Manager Mike Polis said they were sold out of reservations.

He said it would be open to the public in entirety starting Tuesday, with the cafe running from 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. and the pizzeria opening at 4 p.m., seven days a week. Once they get settled in more, the pizzeria will open earlier in the day.

Cento, pronounced Chen-toe, is in one of the buildings owned by Century Partners, a group of five Albert Lea couples, and means “100” in Italian, representing the age of the building when the group purchased it.

Polis said Thursday there had been a steady flow of people for the opening of the cafe, with two cars waiting out front at a quarter to 6 a.m.

“You can tell people have been anxiously awaiting, and it’s been fun to see the reviews,” he said.

In addition to a variety of coffees and frappes, the cafe will also serve Italian sodas and teas. It has partnered with B&B Cafe for its cinnamon rolls, and there will likely be a few other baked goods as well.

The cafe will be run by Albert Lean Bri Neely, who actually worked in the space previously under a different concept and who is also the events coordinator for Events at The Broadway next-door.

In the back in the pizzeria, Bryan Cunningham is the head chef and will work with sous chefs Henry Eggum and Steve Wasmund.

Polis said he and others have put in a lot of work for the craft co*cktails in the pizzeria, which include several drinks not otherwise available in Albert Lea.

The pizza oven was made overseas and includes a rotational wood-fire deck that can cook a pizza from start to finish in four minutes.

“This is kind of our crown jewel behind the whole thing,” Polis said of the gold-tiled pizza oven.

While the restaurant and pizzeria include a sleek and modern design with new seating and lighting, they also pay homage to the historic nature of the building with exposed brick on the walls and other nods to the history of the building. The main contractor for the space was Red Door Construction.

“This has really been a passion project for everybody,” Polis said, noting the Century Partners have brought a perfect set of skills that complement each other to the project.

In addition to the seating for 50 to 60 people inside, there will also be outdoor seating in front of the building on Broadway and in front of the The Broadway, as well as seating along the side of William Street, which will expand the opportunities.

Polis said they have tried to use as many local sources as they can with the project, just as they’re hoping others will embrace them.

He estimated between the cafe and restaurant that they will have about 25 employees, some of which will work in both areas.