Off the Trail Cafe eyes June opening

FALLS VILLAGE — Liz and Howie Ives were hustling around the Off the Trail Cafe at 107 Main St. in the hours prior to the Memorial Day parade.

The cafe was not officially open, but there was coffee, lemonade and baked goods.

Most of the latter were donated by residents.

As people dropped off trays of cookies, the same question kept coming up.

“When are you opening?”

The answer: “Soon!”

Howie Ives said he figured the place was about three-quarters of the way to being ready to go.

Liz Ives said she has staff lined up and has been in touch with the Torrington Area Health District, which must sign off on the establishment before they can open for keeps, probably in mid-June.

She showed off a draft of the menu.

It included Cobb Knocker Salad. She explained that a cobb knocker is the first person along a given section of trail on a given day, who removes any obstacles that may have developed overnight.

And in keeping with the Appalachian Trail motif, there is the Blaze Burger and Trail Magic Salad. A blaze is a marking on a tree, usually with brightly-colored spray paint, that indicates if a hiker is going the right direction, and “trail magic” is a term used by hikers to describe acts of kindness encountered along the way.

The cafe will be open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. and closed Wednesdays.