New Year, New Crowd; Rigby Cafe Expands Horizon

Maggie Arave
Staff Writer
  Ushering in the New Year often brings innovative goals and changes; a small business in Rigby is undergoing renovations. Christina Christiaens, the owner of Café et Amor, plans to use this time to refresh the café’s exterior, giving the business a different look and feel. The café expansion includes a brand new arcade, designed to attract a broad range of customers. 
  After four years of owning Café et Amor, Christiaens decided it was time for a change. A decline in revenue or “a plateau in sales” began due to her extended time in the area. Building the arcade extension was a tool to combat the decline in customers while changing the outward appearance of her café. She took a chance to fill Rigby’s need, creating a place for all groups of people to “hang out.” Christiaens shared that through increasing her customer turnout she could bring the community together, “regardless of background or demographic.” She explained that her shop “is a place meant to be safe for all who enter.” She recognized that people in the community are looking for fun things to do.
  Christiaens expects the arcade will “bring in a whole different demographic.” She stated how she expects the expansion will bring crowds together, “the younger kids in elementary, middle and high school, and even adults…” She states she hopes the groups will “play games and be a kid again.” The purpose of the update is to create an environment for “kids and adults”. She hopes her customers will “have fun together and make memories.”  Christina wishes to fill the communities needs by creating a new and friendly environment to include the whole community in making fresh connections through her café. Christiaens plans to finish the arcade by the end of February.

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