Fresh Start Cafe Opens Its Doors

Fresh Start Café is a labor of love and the latest addition for life partners Rochelle Seldin and Hanna Schneider.

The cozy cafe recently opened for business is in the heart of the Burns Court District and features simple, healthy favorites as well as handmade burekas – traditional Israeli puffed pastries fwith salted cheese. It is located at 630 S Orange Ave, Suite 101.

Open daily from 8 a.m.-3pm., Fresh Start Café features the culinary specialties of Schneider, a native Israeli, who trained at the New York Institute of Technology. Her interesting background includes service as a lieutenant in the Israeli Defense Force.

Seldin also has a varied background that includes a love for the culinary arts. She also had a starring role in theatrical arts, having performed in the chorus of Broadway's They're Playing Our Song. 

Schneider and Seldin are no strangers to restaurant ownership. They previously ran the Snack Attack, a well-known and well-loved burger and sandwich joint in Provincetown, Mass. 

Dedicated to family, Schneider and Seldin said they sold their business and relocated to Sarasota for the educational system, support from extend family and "beautiful beaches." The women have two young children.

The family is active at Temple Emanuel, as well as contributors at the Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee. They are volunteers in Equality Florida.

They also advocate for the Susan G. Komen foundation for the Cure, raising close to $10,000 in the past 3 years where they participated every year in the 3 day-60 mile walk.