Familiar New Bedford Cafe Will Satisfy Coffee Cravings at St. Luke’s Hospital

If you've visited St. Luke's Hospital lately and were craving a coffee or a quick bite to eat, you might have been out of luck. All that is about to change as the former hospital coffee spot gets a new business.

Starting Monday, Oct. 16, a popular downtown New Bedford coffee spot will warm up the hospital lobby. Here, Cafe Arpeggio is set to open its second location. The busy Purchase Street business is expanding. Owner Heidi Sanders said she was visiting family at the hospital one day and was shocked to discover there was no place to get a coffee since the cafeteria was closed at that time.

That's when she decided to make the big move and grow the family business.

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The St. Luke's location will be open daily, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Although it won't have the full menu offered at the Purchase Street storefront, you'll still be able to order smoothies, acai bowls, avocado toast, breakfast sandwiches, select lunch sandwiches, salads and, of course, iced and hot coffee. This includes specialty and regular brews.

Leading up to the opening, Sanders hired three new people and is pulling two of her original staff to work the hospital shop. The new Cafe Arpeggio spot will take the place of Cinnabon and, prior to that, Starbucks. Sanders purchased Cafe Arpeggio back in June and is constantly improving and upgrading the small but mighty downtown spot.