The Judith Cafe, a French-inspired cafe that serves coffee, espresso, and a selection of breakfast pastries as well as a seasonally focused menu of fresh salad, baguette sandwiches, tartines, and shareable plates, opened on February 10 in the Detroit Shoreway neighborhood. The Judith is owned and operated by Jennie Doran and Andrew Worm, neighborhood residents and owners of Room Service boutique (currently in Shaker Heights; the Ohio City location closed in 2021).
By nature, Doran and Worm are storytellers who like to build and create spaces together that invite people in. They love food and hosting and they wanted to create a new kind of space for people to enjoy a feeling of warmth and hospitality. A few years ago, they first eyed the right spot at 5222 Lorain Ave., mere blocks from their home. The Judith, which fills a vacant storefront on a stretch of Lorain where other active retail is sparse, provides a new destination for both neighborhood residents and visitors.
A historic storefront
German immigrants Valentine and Anna Miller owned the property since at least 1904, when city records first show improvements, said Chuck Mocsirin, archivist for Cleveland city council. Valentine was a tailor, and Anna was a seamstress, and they later went into the business of dye work and dry cleaning, he said. The current building was built in 1910 by the Millers and was operated as a family business for nearly 100 years. The Millers’ grandson, Charles Miller, sold it in 2007 to Rudi and Joan Benedejcic. The Benedejcics rented it out, including to the now-closed Guide to Kulchur bookstore, and then sold it to Jim and Eddie Gable in early 2021.
Now, except for vehicle traffic on Lorain and patrons of The Judith, this block is fairly quiet. Across the street is the Nook N Cranny architectural salvage shop (open Wednesday to Saturday 10-5) and a long-shuttered fish market owned by the same LLC. Just across W. 53rd from the old fish shop is the Diversified Auto used car dealership, which transacts most of its business online. On the north side of Lorain near The Judith are a few residences and the Champion Fire Equipment company.
During daily dog walks, Doran and Worm would pass the vacant storefront at 5222. Two years ago, they approached the new owners with their idea for the space. “We discovered they [The Gables] had just purchased the building at the time. The timing was perfect, we shared our vision for the spaces, and they were wholeheartedly on board. It was a consensus among us that we could build this kind of offering for the neighborhood at the property, so it has been a symbiotic relationship from day one,” says Doran.
From that moment, they began bringing The Judith to life.
It has taken a lot of time, patience, and investment to arrive at this moment. The store had been empty since the bookstore left a couple of years earlier, and the space was “essentially a shell,” said Doran, and they redid the space from top to bottom starting with plumbing, electrical, fixtures, and the removal of a non-original dividing wall. However, the striking original ceiling remains in place. “Part of the reason we fell so hard for that space was the original tin ceiling, and beautiful happenstance exposed brick along the east well,” she said. “Both bring such texture and warmth. There is story in them, and we love that.”
Doran declined to say what their construction investment was, but they did receive support from the City of Cleveland’s department of economic development in the form of low interest loans. They are also participating in the city’s Storefront Renovation Program, which offers design help and rebates for upgrades to the outside of businesses.
From retail to hospitality
Doran and Worm found that people wanted to linger in their Room Service boutique, so a comfortable space with food and drink was a natural next step at The Judith. “Creating space that is beautiful and transcends transactional is the through line,” said Doran. “Now, people can sit down and stay a little, or a lot, longer.” The Judith, which seats 28, is intended to be a place to rest, connect, work – whatever the customer needs it to be.
Doran is most excited about the unexpected moments of magic and connection that will happen in this space. She knows it will because she has witnessed it time and time again at Room Service. “Create the space, invite people in, and watch the magic happen.”
Doran hopes their investment in this historic storefront and the opening of the Judith will spur other development along the western front of the Detroit Shoreway neighborhood. It was important to her and Andrew to bring their dreams to life in their own corner of Detroit Shoreway, “We wanted to create this space where we live, in our neighborhood, where people can come together,” said Jennie, “every neighborhood needs one.”
The Judith is open Wednesday-Saturday from 8:00 a.m.- 3:00 p.m. Near future plans include an expanded wine and beer menu and, with that, evening hours and a six-day-a-week schedule. They will be closed on Tuesdays but will add Monday hours because, says Doran, “everyone needs coffee on Monday.”
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