If the mother-daughter duo Lorelai and Rory from Gilmore Girls were to walk out of Stars Hollow, they would find themselves nestled in at Zing! Cafe, 12710 Meeting House Road #150, Carmel.
With the homey and welcoming minimalistic feel, and the warmth and kindness owner Michelle radiates, Zing! Cafe has been perfectly dropped out of the skies from a Gilmore Girls episode.
“When we moved here from Dallas [Texas], we saw that Zing! Cafe (formerly Zing Cafe with no exclamation mark) was closed,” Michelle said. “There was another couple getting ready to purchase it and we just asked that if plans fell through for them, we would like to be up next to own it.”
Sure enough, Michelle and her husband became owners of Zing! Cafe on June 3 of last year.
Even though it’s only been a year since Michelle has been the owner, she knows her customers by name, and that’s something that can’t be said about every coffee shop you visit. If you walk in a stranger, you’ll be sure to walk out a neighbor.
“It’s really the community hub and I’ve had the privilege of getting to meet so many others and make new friends that I normally wouldn’t make,” Michelle said. “We have members in the area that come in and already know one another and then there are times I get to be the one to introduce them to each other, which is something that I love. I get to see customers through generations and meet their family members. I’ve seen babysitters bring in the kids they babysit for. I’ve seen couples even have first dates here. There was one couple that sat in the corner and they were both widowed. She was in her 70s and her date was a bit older, and I even got to hear about their date when she came back to visit after.”
A summer drink option, the Iced Smores Latte. (Reporter photo by Sydney Schmitt)
There are several different groups from the area that fill the seats at Zing! Cafe during the weekdays.
On Tuesdays, the Neighborhood Coffee Ladies visit, and on Wednesdays and Fridays, the ROMEOS (Retired Old Men that Eat Out) reside in Zing! Cafe for a period of time to live up to their rightfully named group.
The atmosphere of Zing! Cafe is a feeling of walking into a second home because making the cafe feel like home is at the forefront of Michelle’s mind.
“I wanted the cafe to feel like you’re walking into my home,” she said. “The wall colors match my home, and you’ll always see fresh flowers on the tables because that’s a reflection of my own place.”
Another thing that Michelle enjoys about owning Zing! Cafe is the ability to help others succeed, whether that be from the young baristas who work there or from helping other local bakers, shops, and artists.
(From left) Baristas Carissa, Sara, and Cierra. (Reporter photo by Sydney Schmitt)
“I knew with this coffee cafe I wanted to be able to help out others too,” Michelle said. “Our baristas range in age from 15 to 25 and are beautiful inside and out, and for a lot of them this is their first job, so I’m glad to be a part of that. We get our bakery items from Cindy at Circle City Sweets, and we get spices for our chicken and tuna salad from Michelle Dudash, owner of Spicekick. Our coffee and tea are local as well, from Hubbard and Cravens.”
The menu consists of a variety of different drinks such as smoothies, teas, lattes, and coffee.
“My husband insisted that milkshakes were a must, so we also have those on the menu, too,” Michelle said. “Since we moved from Texas, we of course use Blue Bell Ice Cream in them because that’s a Texas staple!”
Michelle’s favorite drink and her recommendation of choice is a chai that “tastes like Christmas in a cup.”
Owner Michelle poses with the Iced Smores Latte. (Reporter photo by Sydney Schmitt)
I was able to try a new summer drink, the Smores Latte, which has tones of chocolate, toasted marshmallow, and a surprise flavor of gingerbread for the graham cracker kick one needs when eating a smores. This latte is as sweet as Michelle and is perfect for a summertime stroll down the sidewalk.
A new summer menu item will be bubbling out soon: the Green Pomegranate Bubble Tea with Kiwi Pearls, which is sure to be a fun drink for the whole family.
If you’re looking for a bite to eat, try the top-selling breakfast sandwich, The All Americans. Consisting of American cheese, an egg, and bacon that rests on top of your choice of an English muffin or a bagel, it’ll be sure to have you at the first bite.
As one of the regular customers was leaving the cafe, she told Michelle, “You’ve got a lot of stuff going on in this little place!”
And she’s right. Though the cafe may be little, it sure does make a big impact by being a home away from home for many.
Sydney Schmitt is a self-pronounced coffee addict who is a new resident of Noblesville. She can be reached at sydneyschmitt@gmail.com. She’d love to hear from you and what coffee shops she should try!
A local artist created the mosaic that hangs inside Zing!Cafe, which adds a touch of home. (Reporter photo by Sydney Schmitt)