Entrepreneur pushes through pandemic to open on Wash. Rd.

The CSRA has coffee shops and it has frozen custard shops. But, so far, only one business blends them into a unique store – the newly-opened, Café Dulce on Washington Road.

Café Dulce opened on Monday – several months later than anticipated because of supply chain issues – as a marriage between two franchises: Land of a Thousand Hills Coffee and Whit’s Frozen Custard.
Café Dulce is located next to Krystal on Washington Road but the entrance is off Woodland Road, next to Walker Chiropractic.

The business venture is something of a dream come true for the owner, Bill Leisey, who retired after a 20-year career as a Richmond County deputy coroner. He and his wife, Emily, a nurse, have children aged 6 and 9, who are excited about their father owning a frozen custard store.

“It’s something I’ve always wanted to do; I’ve always been a coffee guy,” Leisey said. “I was with the county for 20 years and I’m still young enough to try another career.”

Leisey struck on the concept of dual offerings partly through his taste buds.

“It’s hard to keep a coffee shop open (in later hours),” he said. “Then, we were in Asheville and had Whit’s Frozen Custard. As soon as I tasted it, I knew this would keep the coffee shop open.”

Café Dulce is the first time either franchise has worked in conjunction with another franchise, so a new building concept worked best to bring them together. The building is a new construction by R.W. Allen. Leisey said it was difficult to find the space he wanted and, selfishly, he preferred ownership to paying rent to someone else.

Like many things over the past few years, the pandemic altered Leisey’s original thinking about the business – it wouldn’t just be about coffee and custard, but a space for customers to connect.

“During covid, I was seeing the separation that people experienced and the problems it caused,” Leisey said. “My idea morphed into a place to bring people together again.”

Café Dulce offers three spaces for that to happen – the lower floor, a more traditional small restaurant setting; the upstairs lounge, with a coffee shop vibe; and a small second-floor outdoor patio area that overlooks Washington Road.

The Land of a Thousand Hills roastery is located in Atlanta and is a fair-trade concept partnering with coffee farmers in Rwanda. Café Dulce is the 11th store to offer the coffee.

Whit’s Frozen Custard opened nine years ago in Ohio and has expanded to 10 states, primarily in the Southeast and upper Midwest. The custard is made fresh daily. Café Dulce offers daily and weekly special flavors.

In addition, Café Dulce also imports desserts and bread from Italy, and bagels from New York City.

Despite a continuing shortage of workers to fill jobs, Leisey said he had no trouble in the hiring process. His philosophy is to involve his staff in all aspects of the business and to stay flexible with their needs.

“I think people are busier now than ever,” he said. “Most of our staff is 16-18 years old so I’m more flexible with their schedules – I build the schedule around them. I don’t want them to miss their events. The people in those sports and activities already check the boxes of whom you want to work for you. By being open to that, I’ve found that they’re more willing to switch things around.”

He also sought workers who had some knowledge of the coffee and food industry to point him in the right direction.

“They run the show and I’m here to provide them what they need,” Leisey said.

Café Dulce is open 6 a.m.-9 p.m., Monday-Saturday, and 12-9 p.m., Sunday. The freshly made frozen custard isn’t available until after 12, but there are small frozen containers available for those who can’t wait that long.