Major Updates
Located across from Holyoke’s historic canals, Gateway City Arts has seen many changes throughout the years. Gateway, as it's more locally known, is made up of several unique, distinct businesses, including several performance stages and restaurants. And while the pandemic hit both the restaurant and entertainment industry hard, the temporary closure gave the owners a chance to rethink their offerings, large and small.
While they once boasted bar food classics in the evenings, they now specialize in Czech American cuisines with their newest restaurant, Judd’s. Their theater, The Divine Theater, has been fully remodeled with a stunning stage clad in intricate steampunk-inspired architectural details. The stage showcases several recurring performances, including their monthly Nerd Nites where local, self-declared nerds share TED Talk styled talks on their favorite topics.
The Famous Café
While perhaps best known for what it adds to Holyoke’s nightlife, I’d be remiss if I ignored what Gateway brings to breakfast: The Famous Café.
The Famous Café has all your breakfast needs covered. Mike gave me a special preview of some of their newest offerings.
Staffed with three bakers, they reopened to an eager community. Open Tuesday - Friday, 10-3, the friendly staff welcomes feedback. They’ve incorporated vegan options based on customer feedback and post actively on social media so curious customers can come in for specific specials, like Brazilian snacks, paninis, croquettes, house made sourdough and rye bread, and their signature mini cakes.
Mike was most excited to show me their now fully vegan hummingbird cake which has a sweet, fruity flavor that comes from bananas, pineapple, ground toasted pecans, and a vegan buttercream frosting.
I'm not the only person to have The Famous Café on my radar. They've even been spotlighted by the local news! Support local business by stopping by today!
Gift Card Giveaway
I’ll be giving away THREE gift cards to this wonderful establishment. To enter, all you have to do is like, comment, and subscribe to one of my social media channels! The winner will be announced Tuesday, May 24, 2022!
I hold Paper City Eats near and dear to my heart because it showcases the diversity of Holyoke. Part of selling homes in a community should always be immersing yourself in that community. This video series allows me the chance to visit and spotlight the richness of our thriving local food scene. I hope you come to experience it for yourself.
What is Paper City Eats?
Many who call the Pioneer Valley home don't know the rich history that brought Holyoke its name, "The Paper City."
During the late 19th century, Holyoke produced an estimated 80% of the writing paper used in the United States, and was the largest paper, silk, and alpaca wool mills in the world. Although considerably less businesses make paper in Holyoke now, it's still commonly referred to as "The Paper City." #PaperCityEats is a video series focused on Holyoke's food scene and how you can support our local restaurants. You can watch Season 1 on Erin's website or YouTube.