What does it take to build a neighborhood café that becomes the heart of a community?

In this episode of Founding Your Way, Maggie sits down with Colleen Suhanosky, owner of Rifrullo Café in Brookline, to talk about entrepreneurship, hospitality, and creating a business rooted in connection.

They also discuss reducing food waste in the restaurant industry, trusting your instincts, taking risks, and finding the resilience to keep showing up—even when the path feels uncertain.

Whether you’re building a business, dreaming of opening one, or simply love hearing the stories behind the places that bring people together, this conversation is full of wisdom.

In this episode:

• 02:00 How Colleen discovered her love of cooking
• 07:00 Starting over and opening Rifrullo Café
• 13:00 Why community makes people feel at home
• 14:40 "You're going to be supported. You're going to be okay."
• 15:00 Why being a good neighbor is good business
• 16:15 "Something about food just opens you up to talk about things."
• 20:00 Food waste, sustainability, and creating better systems
• 23:00 "Trust your instincts and don't be afraid to take risks."
• 24:00 Building courage through uncertainty
• 24:30 "We kept getting better because I just kept coming back."

Connect with Colleen:

@rifrullocafe

www.rifrullocafe.com

Connect with the hosts, Maggie & Lucy

https://www.pearlandlight.co/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/pearl-light-co/about

https://www.podpage.com/founding-your-way/