After nearly two decades, Meshuggah Café owner Patrick Liberto is selling his Loop cafe to a longtime regular, Jen Kaslow. Kaslow will take over July 18.
When Kaslow heard Liberto was looking to sell the University City cafe, located at 6269 Delmar Blvd., she said she impulsively made an offer, worried another owner might not continue Meshuggah’s menu of espresso-based coffee drinks and house-made eats. “The decision was more about: If Patrick left, what was going to happen with Meshuggah?” Kaslow said.
Although Kaslow does not have any formal culinary experience, Liberto said he is confident the former teacher is up to the job. Kaslow has trained alongside the current owner since mid-June. “She has a kind of energy,” he said. “There’s a certain freshness about her that reinvigorates the place … I didn’t want someone coming in and turning this into a cookie-cutter operation. I still wanted it to have this independent feel.”
Kaslow has a few aesthetic changes in mind, but the new owner assures customers that Meshuggah’s menu won’t change anytime soon. Around Aug. 3, the cafe will temporarily close due to construction outside the shop, and Kaslow said she will use this time to renovate the interior. In addition to incorporating artwork from local artists, she plans to add a large window seat and remove wood paneling to expose brick. Kaslow said she hopes to reopen in mid-August.
This article appears in Readers’ Choice 2015.