New owners in process of purchasing Sweet Addie's, a waffle shop in Staunton that closed in March

Patrick Hite, Staunton News Leader
Updated ·3 min read
Jeff Coffey and Bessy Peralta, owners of Latin Soul, have purchased Sweet Addie's. The couple will run both Staunton restaurants.
Jeff Coffey and Bessy Peralta, owners of Latin Soul, have purchased Sweet Addie's. The couple will run both Staunton restaurants.

STAUNTON — It's shaping up to be a huge 2024 for Bessy Peralta and Jeff Coffey. The couple opened Latin Soul in January this year on Church Street. Now, they are in the process of purchasing Sweet Addie's, a waffle shop on West Beverley, less than a half mile from Peralta and Coffey's other restaurant.

Sweet Addie's announced on Facebook in late February that it was closing, less than two years after opening. The owner posted that, despite the success they had seen at the waffle shop, "Sometimes you have to step back and look at the big picture to see what is best for your family."

Peralta and Coffey told the News Leader Wednesday night that when they heard that Sweet Addie's was closing, they approached the owner about possibly buying some kitchen equipment.

"We started talking and ended up buying the entire restaurant," Coffey said.

Sweet Addie's owner Brent Schoenduby told The News Leader that the closing is set for Friday and things look positive.

Peralta has worked in the restaurant industry since arriving in the United States from El Salvador in 2002. Coffey, a former engineer, is an Army veteran and comes from a family tradition of military service. The two had been looking to open a restaurant, which is how Latin Soul came to be.

Now, they will have two restaurants to run.

"We're planning to keep Sweet Addie's just as it is," Coffey said. "We're not changing a thing."

Sweet Addie's is a new Belgian waffle restaurant in downtown Staunton. Focusing on sweet, delectable recipes, the new spot comes from former Shenandoah Pizza owner Brent Schoenduby.
Sweet Addie's is a new Belgian waffle restaurant in downtown Staunton. Focusing on sweet, delectable recipes, the new spot comes from former Shenandoah Pizza owner Brent Schoenduby.

The couple will have a soft opening — or reopening — Wednesday, March 20.

"We have plans to maybe extend hours when we have a full staff," Peralta said.

She said they want to open earlier and maybe even add an extra day. Sweet Addie's, before it closed its doors, was open Wednesday through Sundays, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Peralta said they've discussed opening at 8 a.m. and possibly opening Tuesdays, but that will be down the road a little bit.

"Little changes are going to come," Peralta said. "But right now it's staying as it is, same name, same menu and some of the staff will stay with us."

Opening one restaurant is a lot of work. Peralta and Coffey are opening two within the first three months of 2024. They realize that's double the work, but have faith in the staff at Latin Soul to keep things running smoothly as the owners split their time.

"We're so lucky to have the team that we have," Peralta said. "It's like a big family. We spend a lot of time here. And I think we're going to build the same thing at (Sweet Addie's)."

Both Coffey and Peralta said they have received so much positive feedback from the community about Latin Soul. Now, they're looking forward to seeing what they can do at Sweet Addie's.

"We love Staunton," Peralta said. "We feel so welcome right here. People have been so great to us. That makes us want to keep high standards in everything."

More: The General Assembly has adjourned, next is the 'veto session'

More: Queen City Bistro ready to open in downtown Staunton

— Patrick Hite is The News Leader's education reporter. Story ideas and tips always welcome. Contact Patrick (he/him/his) at phite@newsleader.com and follow him on Twitter @Patrick_Hite. Subscribe to us at newsleader.com.

This article originally appeared on Staunton News Leader: Staunton waffle shop, Sweet Addie's, coming back to life