Resident With 50 Years of Family Ties in Town Readies New Cafe

While the end of the world may not have arrived as the Mayans prophesized on Dec. 21, 2012, lifelong Salem resident Cassandra Schofield joked that the date spelled the end of her social world.

Schofield, who is just 22, officially signed the lease on that day last month for her new coffee shop location, a huge step in the realization of a dream that she has been working on for almost four years.

The spot will be at 163 Main St., which she said used to house a salon before the business vacated two years ago.

"I've always known that I wanted to own my own business," Schofield said, explaining that she was going to Northern Essex Community College for radiology before deciding to take her life in a different direction.

Part of her motivation came from the death of her uncle, Eric Schofield, who she said worked a tough assembly line job at the local Rigaku Corporation.

She said that pushed her not to settle for a "bleh" backup job.

After being one of only a handful of students accepted to a program at Lawrence Memorial/Regis College, she simply said 'no' to the offer.

From the depths of her mind and from what she had been telling her father she was going to do for years, The Barking Bean Cafe was finally unleashed.

What may make the business a perfect fit for Salem is that it will be run by someone who knows almost everything about the town.

Schofield has lived in a house that her grandfather built on nearby Bridge Street for almost her entire life. Her family has 50 years of connections with the communities, and they are friends with local business owners around the area.

One of those family friends is the owner of Who You Callin' Cupcake, a bakery and specialty foods shop that can be seen from the front of what will be the new coffee shop.

"She has been helping a lot with her connections," Schofield said of Shelley, the bakery owner.

Other local connections include an antique shop on Route 28 that will be roasting Schofield's coffee.

Body Rags Clothing Co. in Pelham was also the supplier for the graphic designs for the shop.

A lot of work still needs to take place to turn over the business from the dusty vacant space as it currently sits to the final layout of the shop.

Schofield explained that breakfast sandwiches will be available to start,  and she expects people to be in and out for coffee and breakfast in the morning but hopes they will hang out in the afternoon.

She said that the location having a close proximity to Woodbury Middle School and Salem High School will hopefully make it a student attraction, and that she also wants to bring in local artists to play music.

High school friends will also offer their artistic prowess to paint murals on the shop's ceiling, which will surround a layout of 12 seats and a retail area complete with hand-made crafts that Schofield is currently putting together herself.

She has called upon her cousin – Charles Hunter Veach  – to do the cooking.

Veach said that he started as a dishwasher at Hampstead House and now works as a line cook at Waterside Tap and Grille in Methuen, Mass. He explained that he has always been interested in culinary arts.

Going forward, the site has a floor plan, as it is required to by the town to be aproved. Schofield is currently waiting on the building permit. Meanwhile, her dad will help order the equipment such as espresso and latte machines.

The goal is an opening this spring.

As for the name – no, there will not be dogs barking up the joint, but expect dog merchandise ready for the opening.