About Us
Our Story
SineFellas Cafe, inspired by the owners favorite sitcom was formed in January 2010 and supersedes So What's New @ The Chocolate Spoon, a spin off business of the Chocolate Spoon Cafe. SineFellas is a comedy cafe with great food, entertainment, drink, and ambiance.
It's foundation is the coffee shop/cafe built from the Chocolate Spoon Cafe days that Nancy & Jeff Poferl began in February of 2004. They eventually combined the retail merchandise and art of Uno Carina Tre, the spin off business of Nancy Poferl & her friend Gianna Ianos and added complimentary and unique business services and retail operations from other new or existing business owners.
These two Biz sisters (not in blood) bring over 60 years of business experience to the table. Nancy has over 26 years in Corporate America, in the Accounting and Finance field, along with her four-year stint as Owner/Operator of the Chocolate Spoon Café. Nancy has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Bethel College (nka Bethel University) and a Master's and PhD in Business Management from the University of SOHK. Her skills in her main field of Accounting & Finance helped her manage the day-to-day activity of the Spoon. She had to learn how to bring customers through the door, and through hard work, has mastered marketing. Her artisan gift is networking and her creative look at business and what makes people stop, and more importantly come in and buy.
Gianna has 30 years in business, most of which was in retail operations, also known as, Sales. She has been telling Nancy for as long as she's known her, that "I can sell refrigerators to eskimos". She is the heart and soul of our Sales team, and has the role of Art and Sales Director. She is also a true artisan, creating, designing and making one-of-a kind jewelry using gemstones and charms from all over the world under her business It's Totally You Designs. You can purchase her jewelry in our shoppe, as she is one of the product suppliers under our sister business, Uno Carina Tre, LLC. Gianna has a Master's and PhD in Sales from the University of SOHK.
Our shoppe is located on 5th and Banning across from the White Bear Lake post office.
We say goodbye to So What's New @ The Chocolate Spoon Café concept. After eight years in business, six years by current owner, Nancy & Jeff Poferl, the time has come to move into a new business concept. The Chocolate Spoon Cafe specialized in gourmet coffees and espressos, freshly baked pastries, deli soups, sandwiches and salads, delectable desserts, ice cream and cool smoothies. This quaint coffee shop boasted a European decor and feeling. The shop had a spacious dining area with an abundance of picture windows, a private fireside corner with comfy leather loveseats and outdoor street side cafe tables during the spring, summer and fall fair weather days.
We are keeping a piece of our history alive by continuing to serve our first class coffee (True Stone Roasters, St. Paul) and our world-class scones. You can also purchase many of our products online on our shopping cart.
Gianna and Nancy are enterprising entrepreneurs that can change like a chameleon, often and with ease! Anticipating the ever so subtle nuances of the current and future business climate is what drives this dynamic duo. They are the girls to watch. What they can do on a dime and still give you a nickel of change is fantastic, alluring and worth watching!
Their motto is: If we can think it, we can do it.....ZIPPY CAN DO!
From a partnership formed out of hard work, stamina and sheer will of
survival of the fittest, these two continue to hold their own through thick and thin
and will continue to do so until "The Fat Lady Sings".
History
Celebrating four years plus here, Jeff and Nancy Poferl, 22 year local White Bear residents, purchased the Spoon in February 2004; they kept their promise to keep the community spirit alive and well. With the help of the community, friends and family alike, they offered weekend music venues, walls of fame for community artists, comfortable european ambiance, quality food and drink and their friendship.
Nancy, the main shop operator, took a leap of faith to follow her dream. Working in corporate America for 26 years, she decided to leave her career behind and use her abundant and various skills to run a community coffee shop. Her longing for a larger connection with the community, both physically and spirtually drew her in. She particularly enjoyed the company of the many retirees that frequented the shop. "Sitting behind a desk eight hours a day did not provide the connection to community I desired. Chatting with the many retirees, church groups, knitting groups, book clubs and shoppers brought her life to a reality. People made all the difference in the world."
