By EMILY SPARACINO / Staff Writer

MONTEVALLO – Any uncertainty Cynthia Bertolone might have had about how the community would respond to her new coffee shop and bakery was erased within the first week of opening.

“Business has exploded,” Bertolone wrote in an email Jan. 31, adding people have embraced C’s Cakes & Coffee House with love and gratitude. “I want to thank everyone for their support.”

Bertolone, who owns Cake Art in Pelham, posted photos of the coffee shop on social media Jan. 27 with the caption “We’re open. Come on in.”

C’s Cakes & Coffee House serves specialty coffee, pastries, sandwiches, salads, soups and Italian meals to go.

Bertolone said Dr. Bobby Shunnarah with Montevallo Family Dentistry approached her with the idea of her opening a coffee shop and bakery in the white building he owns on Valley Street.

“With my cakes at Cake Art, he felt that we would do really well in Montevallo, in a college town,” she said. “I took his offer.”

She described the atmosphere inside as having a “retro feel with a little bit of funk to it,” complete with a multicolored piano designed by a local artist.

“We have rooms that can be rented for special events, like baby showers,” she said, “And an outdoor patio, where people can just sit and enjoy a good cup of coffee. The students are looking for a place to eat and hang out. They just want something different.”

If you see bright green umbrellas stationed above the tables on the patio, you’re in the right place.

Experienced baristas will be at the helm, brewing the coffee “basics” and eventually helping Bertolone expand the drink selection.

“We’ll add on as we start to grow with seasonal coffees and items,” she said. “The paninis will switch up every now and then.”

Another project Bertolone and her husband, Michael, are working on in Montevallo is an Italian restaurant.

GianCarlo’s Italian Café & Pizzeria will be located where the former Pizza Hut and Sonic building stood, and will offer authentic Italian cuisine such as lasagna, spaghetti and meatballs and chicken fettuccine. The couple plans to include a small bar inside the building.

GianCarlo’s will offer meals to go and desserts like the ones Bertolone sells at Cake Art.

“It’s just going to be a wow factor in Montevallo,” Cynthia said. “We are really excited. We are Montevallo residents, so we know Montevallo very well. We’re just excited that the people will be embracing us. We know what we’re doing, and know that we’re going to give them some good food and coffee and pastries.”

C’s Cakes & Coffee House is located at 1241 Valley Street. For more information and updates, visit the C’s Cakes & Coffee House Facebook page.