After Queen City Family Restaurant closed in 2021, Sabrena Elmarzouky came to a conclusion.
The former manager of the iconic diner decided she wasn’t done building a community through food, drinks and atmosphere.
That’s why, when the opportunity arose, Elmarzouky resurrected the spirit of Queen City and infused it with her own DNA, opening Queens’ Cafe in April 2024.
“I realized I had a true passion for that type of industry,” Elmarzouky said.
The cafe is inside the Riverfront Federal Credit Union building on Keiser Road in Spring Township, where Squawk Cafe was previously.
The space boasts a relaxed ambiance that is friendly to local artists and performers, as well as anyone looking for a place to frequent.
She said Queens’ Cafe hosts events supporting local artists like “Espresso Yourself” open mic poetry nights.
“You come in here and you feel like you’re at home,” Elmarzouky said.
Besides a multitude of coffees, teas and pastries, the cafe menu offers breakfast staples like omelets, eggs benedict and french toast, as well as smash burgers, sandwiches, wings and other handheld lunch classics.
The cafe’s monthly specials are where Elmarzouky’s Egyptian heritage shines through.
“Once in a while, you can find shakshuka (poached eggs in a spiced tomato sauce) on our menu, falafel sandwiches, grilled chicken za’taar sandwiches,” Elmarzouky said. “We also tie in some Egyptian flavors in our (specialty) coffees every month.”
One such specialty, featured in June, was a Dubai pistachio chocolate strawberry cold foam latte.
The cafe also hosts a monthly family-style dinner called “A Taste of Egypt,” which is open to the public via reservations.
“We tie in as much of my culture as I can while not getting away from the culture I’ve established here in Berks County,” Elmarzouky said. “That comfort food people are looking for.”
Elmarzouky said she was born in Egypt and lived there through grade school. She moved to America in 2009, attending Kutztown University to study anthropology.
Her father, Elsayed Elmarzouky, was the owner of Queen City Family Restaurant.
She said a major goal for the cafe was to create a place people want to return to.
“Luckily, I had a really nice following when I opened,” Elmarzouky said. “People were really excited to come back to the Queens’ experience that they were experiencing for 31 years at the diner, but on a smaller scale.”
The cafe family also grew by two in the first year — Elmarzouky opened it when she was pregnant with twins.
“I ended up having my twins five days after I opened,” Elmarzouky said. “She was here with me all the time. People have gotten to see the twins grow. It’s been really awesome to share my family and my culture with Berks County.”
Queens’ Cafe is open Tuesday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
