Former Educator Opens Up Cafe

Former public school principal Sara Lane decided she would take some classes, draw up a business plan with friend Ruth Merola, and open a frozen yogurt café, Taffy Cafe, in downtown Dover.

Lane worked in the Waltham, Lunenburg, Natick and Marlborough school systems and was a teacher prior to being a principal. She has three master degrees and a doctorate in education. After an extensive career, Lane was ready to retire from education but not from learning and working.

This year, Lane and her friend, veterinarian Ruth Merola, decided to draw up a business plan for a café. After searching for many locations, the two decided on Dover.

Merola, from Natick, and Lane of Framingham, realized they didn’t want a long commute to work. When they drove to Dedham to look at one location, they passed by Dover and decided their current location was the perfect place to start their business, with the location and with the people.

“The people of Dover are extremely generous and kind,” Lane said.

After a few months of obtaining their licenses and going to some classes, the two opened up shop in April. The varied items on Taffy Café’s menu include 10 flavors of frozen yogurt, 24 different toppings, fresh smoothies, organic coffee, espresso and baked goods. Lane said all the food the café offers is natural with the freshest ingredients. In August, they will be opening in the morning for breakfast in addition to serving pies and tarts.

“It’s expensive to make good stuff,” she said, pointing out the fresh fruit, candies, and homemade taffy as various frozen yogurt toppings.

Lane had plenty of learning to do, however, before opening up her business. She took a class in espresso-making, smoothie-making, in sanitation, and spent four months traveling to other cafes to seek advice and observe their business model, researching online, while also being taught how to make frozen yogurt from Honey Hill Farms yogurt distributor in Quincy. That process was “seat of the pants learning” Lane said with a laugh.

“I have seven grandchildren,” Lane explained, “And I wouldn’t sell anything they wouldn’t eat.” To ensure the quality in what they sell, the yogurt is taste-tested every day. The machines that dispense the yogurt are dated and cleaned every seven days, a process that includes extensive rinsing, sanitizing and the disassembly of each the five machines.

“The first time we did it, it took four hours just to put it back together again. It’s an entire machine. It’s one thing to see someone do it, but its another thing when you’re on your own,” she said.

Lane said she still wanted to be able to have enough time to be a grandmother, and this business allows her to do that.

“I knew I wanted to stay in touch with people and kids,” she said. “It’s nice to see people enjoying our products.”

Lane said while sometimes she asks herself what she got into entering a new business at this stage in her life, she really enjoys talking to people and having fun.

“We’re learning as we go along. There’s a learning curve. We have to go with the flow but we try to have fun and make our customers feel welcomed,” she said.