Sweet Shop Cafe Italiano is a new business in an old spot. Attorneys Joe Paolucci and Thomas Hitchcock opened it in downtown Buchanan, slowly increasing their offerings since then. Paolucci said they should be able to open fully in February. The store harkens back to the Sweet Shop, which has occupied the historic building for decades and to the Italian bars that Paolucci, whose parents are from Italy, visited as a kid.

In Italy, Paolucci said, what Americans would describe as a “cafe” is referred to as a bar, despite not serving any alcohol. “This is really in the style of an Italian bar, very much what you would find in Rome or in Milan,” Paolucci said. Customers can expect pizzas, cakes, gelato, chocolates, coffee and other treats. Paolucci said they hope to get a beer and wine license, but want to keep the atmosphere family friendly.