The Morning Table fuses family and food

Vinny and Celene Andreano will be serving up a whole lot of family and food soon. The family of six moved from Florida to their Colorado home, and they plan to swing open the doors of their new breakfast and lunch restaurant, The Morning Table, by the end of July.

“We’ve always congregated our family around good food and good conversation,” Celene said. “Our kids have grown up having meals together and that was always important to us.”

The Andreanos, who have been married almost 30 years, are both bubbling with enthusiasm and a passion for their new lives. They have four kids who will pitch in at the establishment; Vincent (25), Nicholas (19), Jenna (17), and Gianni (11). Both Vincent and Nicholas will be full-time employees, Jenna will be part-time when not in high school classes, and Gianni is helping out by creating a kids’ menu and being useful in the kitchen.

Before leaving Florida, Vinny, was the general manager of a “giant” breakfast restaurant while Celene worked 10 years for the Broward County school system and took classes toward a degree in climate research.

A visit to Boulder in 1989 led to another visit and then another. The Andreanos felt so drawn to Colorado that along with traveling to Europe, taking the family RVing, and other goals they’d written on an actual bucket list, there was a final resolution to be checked off - living near the mountains.

“South Florida is very hot and the hurricanes are getting worse,” Celene said. “We wanted to come here and lessen our carbon footprint, open something that’s sustainable and locally sourced, and health-conscious because it’s a very supportive environment out here.”

Vinny chimed in enthusiastically, explaining that the move to Colorado is more in keeping with their lifestyle and philosophy of being active and healthy. Hiking, skiing and camping are now a big part of their lives, whereas in Florida, there was mostly the intensity of work and spending too much time indoors.

The family hub will now be The Morning Table restaurant, located in the former 4,300 square-foot space of Gurkhas Restaurant in the Gunbarrel Shopping Center. It’s literally a stone’s throw from where they live, which goes a long way toward achieving their low carbon footprint goal.

The bones of the previous restaurant space were ideal and the focus now is on finishing touches – new flooring, fresh paint, décor changes, and a table that’s worthy of being called “The” Morning Table.

The 16-foot long wood table is being handmade by a local artist. The top of the table will be carved with an exact replica of a section of the Boulder Creek, even down to the placement of rocks. It will serve as a unique gathering place for community-table dining or for a meeting place for large groups.

“We think our restaurant is going to really serve Gunbarrel well. It needs a breakfast place close by. We like going into Boulder, but we get tired of it,” Celene said. “And you have to look for parking, but here it’s so convenient and easy,” Vinny said.

The menu is nearly finalized and features a special blend of coffee beans created by Gunbarrel’s Ampersand coffee, along with innovative options including breakfast pizzas, southern-style chicken and waffles, a variety of egg dishes, sandwiches and salads. Organic, gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan dishes are part of the repertoire.

“It was important to us to serve a lot of the demographics here” Celene said. “Everything is quick, simple, and tasty so people can be in and out easily.”

Signature dishes will feature family recipes for gravies, biscuits and seasonal jams. Each dish has passed the family test – that’s when it’s quiet at the table, because the kids are happily focused on the goodness on their plates. Then Vinny and Celene know they’ve hit on a winning recipe.

The drink selection will include adult beverages such as seasonal mimosas, screwdrivers with freshly squeezed orange juice and a variety of other creative concoctions.

The ingredients are being sourced through food distributor Sysco’s Colorado Proud program. Ecologically minded, they’re weighing each decision’s impact on the environment - choosing recyclable napkins and take-out containers, and forgoing straws and cloth linens.

Including family, they already employ a staff of eight and will be hiring 10 more people – mostly servers and kitchen workers. For the Andreanos, everyone on staff will become an extension of their family, treated with respect, and encouraged to thrive in a career they’ll enjoy.

Working with TEEM, a Boulder marketing agency, they’ve created a distinctive solid look and feel for their restaurant branding. The Andreanos hope this is the first of several Morning Table restaurants in the area.

“I would love to have one for each kid,” Vinny said.

They’ve joined the Boulder Chamber of Commerce and are excited to be part of the community as fully as possible. Behind the scene work is in full swing preparing for opening day, when they can enjoy meeting the community and serving them the food they love