Prince Street cafe offers fine brew and tasty treats

TRURO, N.S. — Neena Brostowski’s interest in coffee was sparked when she was two years old. Now she’s sharing her passion with others.
On Nov. 4 she opened Brew Beans, where she serves beverages, baked goods and wraps.
“I’m young but very driven,” said the 22-year-old business owner. “I wanted to do something I was passionate about and I’ve always loved coffee and working with it.”
She grew up around coffee lovers and remembers asking for coffee before she could even pronounce the word clearly. She was happy when she would get a small splash of it in her milk.
“People might think I drink a lot of coffee now, but I only drink about one cup a day,” she said. “When I drink it, I want to sit and savour it.”
For a while, Brostowski was studying environmental science, but she felt it wasn’t the right path for her. She worked at cafés and roasted for Aroma Maya, and felt there was room for another café in Truro.
“I had a business plan about 40 pages long but, as a young entrepreneur, it was hard to acquire financing,” she said. “I went to a lot of places and couldn’t get anything, but family came together and helped.”
It took her a while to find the right location, but when she came across 570 Prince St., she felt it was right.
“It had been empty for a while and needed work, but when I walked in I had a vision,” she said. “I saw potential.”
Family members and friends helped her renovate the space and she opened the doors to customers on Monday.
Aroma Maya is her main coffee supplier, and she makes a variety of coffee and tea-based drinks. She offers customers a choice of regular, two-per-cent, lactose-free, soy, almond, or oat milk. She took a baking program through Nova Scotia Community College and goes in early to create tasty treats including biscuits, muffins, baked doughnuts, oatcakes, cookies, and squares. Wraps are also available.
Brew Beans is open Monday to Friday, 7 a.m.-4 p.m. and Saturday 8 a.m.-5 p.m.