On Sept. 15, a new family-based restaurant, The Order, opened its doors.
The establishment, which replaced Falafel-ly Yours on South Orange Avenue, is run by siblings and recent college graduates Samantha and Sheldon Pinto. Sheldon and Samantha, who are fans of Harry Potter, named the restaurant after the Harry Potter movie, “The Order of the Phoenix.”
To get acquainted with the Village and South Orange residents, the Pintos have hosted several events, one of them being “Coffee with a Cop.”
Their dad, Ronald, also works with them and cooks. Sheldon and Samantha said that their mom sometimes helps them out with the business. The siblings said that their dad wanted to open a business after his retirement from the U.N.
“We wanted to introduce fresh home-cooked food and bring more culture,” Samantha said. “We serve Goan and Mediterranean food. We offer breakfast and lunch dishes, such as oven-baked omelets, rice bowls, salads infused with Indian spices, pastries and coffee.”
The Order, located on South Orange Avenue, is run by siblings Sheldon and Samantha Pinto.
Samantha added, “We open the café for dinner on weekends. Every three or four months, we switch out the menu to offer varieties of food.”
“Our family values a cup of coffee,” Sheldon said. “Our goal is to add flavor to the coffee.”
Sheldon said that Samantha was the one who designed the café and brought “homey touches” by hanging up pictures and holiday decorations. They both added high chairs and changing tables to the café. Sheldon and Samantha focus on communicating with their team members and making sure that everyone performs different tasks. Samantha explained that their mission is to work together as a team, so nobody is designated to do one job.
“We want to be as accommodating as we possibly can,” Samantha said. “We want to make arrangements convenient to the community, not the owners.”
The Pintos offer discounts for students, senior citizens and teachers. Sheldon said that students will be given a 10% discount when they show their student ID.
Both siblings said that one Seton Hall student is about to be hired to work at the café.
“We want to make scheduling easy for the student because school comes first,” Sheldon said. “We are focused on taking care of the staff.”
Several students detailed their experience at the new café.
“I really wanted to try a Cortado, but unfortunately their espresso machine wasn’t working, so I ended up getting a regular drip coffee,” Kellyanne Murphy, a sophomore biology major, said.
Maddie Guerrero, a senior physics major, went to The Order with a friend. She ordered a matcha latte with oat milk, and her friend ordered an iced caramel macchiato and avocado toast.
“I would recommend The Order,” Guerrero said. “It is something trendy to go to while waiting for the train or bus.”
Other students explained how they plan to make a trip to The Order. Michael Ciccone, a senior history major, said, “I have not been there, and it’s actually my first time hearing about it. If I saw an advertisement or heard reviews of the menu, I would probably be more likely to check it out.”
Sebastien Fortes, a junior creative writing major, said, “I have not been to The Order, but I am always down to try new businesses, especially a café.”
Alexa Coughlin can be reached at alexa.coughlin@student.shu.edu.
