<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=2tlqhg_1Goq5gyo00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2tlqhg_1Goq5gyo00" width="370" height="500" ><figcaption>The Christmas Cafe is preparing to open its doors in north Peoria this November, offering Christmas-themed drinks, food and a festive atmosphere year-round.&nbsp; (Christmas Cafe/Submitted)</figcaption></figure>For Victoria Andrej, Christmas is a time of year that inspires joy, generosity, kindness, forgiveness and unity — encouraging the community to regard one another with warmth. The spirit of the holiday, Andrej said, brings out the best in people in a way that raised an interesting question — what if every day could be Christmas?“We can be joyful and generous and giving and kind and cheerful to each other all the time,” she said. “I think that that was God’s intent from the beginning — you can feel a palpable difference when people are being kind and generous to each other.”Andrej and her business partner, Marie Pantelic, are set to open the Christmas Cafe — a coffee shop where the holiday is every day. The co-owners are aiming for a grand opening in November.In addition to decking the halls with all of the ornaments, colors and other decorations associated with the holiday season, the cafe will also feature a menu of Christmas-themed drinks, comforting food and baked goods. One of the standout experiences Andrej described was the Hot Cocoa Flight — including different varieties of hot chocolate and paired with a cotton candy “snowball,” containing marshmallows. She said customers will use gold tongs to drop the snowballs into the drinks and watch as the marshmallows rise to the surface.Another item customers will find on the Christmas Cafe menu is the White Peppermint Mocha, which Andrej said uses white chocolate, rather than the milk or dark chocolate found in a conventional mocha drink. The topping for the drink, she said, is a mix of ground candy canes and edible glitter. Overall, the signature drinks will be made with homemade syrups and are also dye-free.Though the Christmas Cafe will maintain its flavor and aesthetics year-round, Andrej said that guests can expect the atmosphere to be extra special during the actual holiday season.“For the majority of the year, we’ll be at a level eight to nine and then during November, December — the actual season — we’re going to turn it up to a 12,” she said.While Andrej and Pantelic share a vision for the Christmas Cafe, the two bring different strengths to the business — a partnership Andrej said has helped turn her longtime dream into a reality. While Pantelic brings an eye for aesthetics and a knack for selecting the cafe’s furnishings and decor, Andrej is well versed in the “legalese” and operational procedures.The two are longtime friends who first met just over 17 years ago at church camp. They bonded over a shared passion for music.“We were acquaintances for a time, about 10 years, and we knew of each other and would see each other at certain church events and different things like that — but we weren’t very close friends,” Andrej said. “Then, when I moved to Arizona in 2019, she and I became close friends and worked at another business together.“A couple years ago, when I decided to move forward with the Christmas Cafe, she wanted to join in on that venture.”For Pantelic, the partnership is about more than bringing Andrej’s vision to life — it’s about creating an environment where customers feel welcome and can escape the demands of everyday life.“Our goal is to create a peaceful sanctuary where anyone can step out of their daily rush, feel completely at home and leave happier than when they arrived,” Pantelic said in a statement.With the cafe’s opening on the horizon, Andrej said she is thrilled to invite the community in to experience the effort and love that went into every aspect of the establishment. More than anything, she hopes visitors leave with a little of the Christmas spirit to carry into their everyday lives. After all, the team firmly believes in bringing “Joy to the world, 365 days a year.”“We are honored to be serving this community and we hope that we can live up to everybody’s expectations,” Andrej said. “We love you, we’re here for you and we can’t wait to serve you Christmas-themed food and drink all year long.” The Christmas CafeWHERE: 24980 N. 83rd Avenue, Suite 104, PeoriaWHEN: Opening anticipated in November; exact date and operating hours to be announcedINFO: thechristmascafeaz.com or Instagram @thechristmascafeaz.</div></body>

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For Victoria Andrej, Christmas is a time of year that inspires joy, generosity, kindness, forgiveness and unity — encouraging the community to regard one another with warmth. The spirit of the holiday, Andrej said, brings out the best in people in a way that raised an interesting question — what if every day could be Christmas?

New Peoria cafe celebrates Christmas year-round

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For Victoria Andrej, Christmas is a time of year that inspires joy, generosity, kindness, forgiveness and unity — encouraging the community to regard one a

New Peoria cafe celebrates Christmas year-round

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