New Mexican fusion cafe opens in Paso Robles
The salsa roja chilaquiles with carnitas at Agape Coffee House 8:39.
Agape Coffee House 8:39 open on Riverside Avenue
– A new Mexican fusion restaurant in Paso Robles is now open; friends and business partners Oscar Torres and Leo Martinez opened its doors last year on Dec. 21. Agape Coffee House 8:39 focuses on serving fresh, authentic food and building a bond with the local community.
“What inspired us to start Agape Coffee House was our families. Our vision is to create a space where families can enjoy comfort food and create memories together. We enjoy building relationships with our guests and within our community. We would like everyone who visits Agape to feel like they are an extension of our family. We are always grateful for each of our guests and we look forward to welcoming everyone,” said Noemi Torres, who is married to Oscar Torres.
The Torta de Carnitas meal.
The mission statement of Agape is “the highest form of love. Selfless, sacrificial, and unconditional love; persists no matter the circumstance,” which can be read on a wall inside the coffee house. The 8:39 portion of their name is from the Bible verse Romans 8:39, which reads that “nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Noemi Torres said that this verse “goes along with the meaning of Agape [and] the Bible speaks of three forms of love: fraternal…eros [which is] love for couples and the highest form of love is Agape which refers to God’s eternal love for us.”
Both partners bring food industry experience to this endeavor; Torres has over 20 years of work experience, such as working at Touch of Paso for 15 years. He notes that he “always thinks of [owner] Bonnie [Peterson] and [lead cook] Victor [Ballin] as his mentors since they gave him the first opportunity to teach him how to cook and work in a restaurant.” Martinez “enjoys making our guests feel welcomed and building relationships with them,” during his time working as a house manager for over 10 years. He was also the store manager of El Pollo Loco and Denny’s.
“Personally, our families have been friends for over ten years. Our families spend Christmas, take trips and attend church together. We both have four kids around the same ages,” Noemi Torres said. Martinez’s wife Susie is an assistant manager at Bank of California, while Noemi Torres is a math interventionist paraeducator at Flamson Middle School; the husbands noted that their wives are their biggest support who balance a full-time job with helping at the coffee house.
The strawberry waffle combo.
Breakfast and lunch options are available. Some popular dishes on the menu include the chicken fried steak with gravy, birria chilaquiles, rib eye steak with eggs, torta de carnitas with fries, and the Mexican-style eggs benedict. For a sweet dish, community favorites include the guava French toast and churro crepes.
Agape Coffee House is located at 1111 Riverside Ave. in Paso Robles. Open Monday through Saturday from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information, call (805) 296 – 3041 or visit their Facebook page.
