Cafe Girasole making the move to Gardnerville

Passersby who've seen the black and yellow Cafe Girasole vehicle parked outside the former Bravo Cafe and Bakery, which closed earlier this year, probably can connect the dots.

On Friday, Cafe Girasole owner Leslie Dupont confirmed that she is moving what she once called Minden's best-kept secret to a vacant storefront along Highway 395 in Gardnerville.

"We've been looking for a larger location. We happened to go look at this space, and everything felt pretty right," Dupont said. "We're planning to expand the menu a bit and the hours, and we're hoping to grab the attention of people driving through town."

Two years old, Cafe Girasole has built up a loyal customer base with its signature soups, salads, sandwiches and other lunch-time dishes. Dupont is hoping to open the new location on Monday. She said new business hours will be 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

"We're now going to do dinner and hope to get our beer and wine license by February," she said.

Dupont is also excited about joining the Main Street Gardnerville revitalization program.

"We plan to do lots of networking," she said. "We hope to help keep everyone in business on Main Street. We're so excited, and our customers are excited. All this positive energy has basically turned this thing into a reality. A lot of people think we're nuts for expanding our business in a time like this."

Accustomed to being tucked out of sight in the Minden Village, Dupont said she's looking forward to some serious street exposure.

"Our phones have been ringing off the hook because everyone sees the truck parked outside," she said.

Plus, for not much more than what she's paying now, Dupont will quadruple her space, from 400 square feet to 1,222 square feet.

"People are willing to work with you when times are tough," she said. "We only survived in the Minden Village because of our regulars, so I'm excited for the street exposure. It hasn't been easy. I'm sad to leave. I'm hoping that if I cook it, they will come."

Still open in the Minden Village until the move, Cafe Girasole's new address will be 1483 Highway 395, Suite A.

For more information, call 782-3314.