Della Leva Espresso Bar Brings a Touch of Italy to Fishers

Writer / Jane VanOsdol
Photographer / Jamie Sangar

Just five years after graduating from Ball State University, Bridget Edgeworth is already fulfilling a goal. For years she had dreamed of opening an upscale Italian-style coffee shop. When property became available in a sought-after area of Fishers, real estate developer John Edgeworth, Bridget’s father, built a strip center. Father and daughter then joined forces and partnered together to bring the Della Leva Espresso Bar to life. They opened their doors initially the first week of December and held a grand opening in early January.

Located at the bustling corner of 106th and Lantern Road, Della Leva is part of new development in the area. Plans for the Italian-style coffee shop were tweaked a bit when Bridget discovered that the coffee shop could accommodate a drive-through.

“Since we were able to get a drive-thru in this space, we tried to find the balance between having a comfortable sit-down vibe, while balancing speed and getting people out the door,” she says

To prepare for co-ownership of Della Leva, after graduation Bridget started working full time at a coffee shop in Chicago to immerse herself in the business. It was truly an artisanal learning experience. She was instructed on how to properly care for coffee beans and tea leaves, while studying the back-end operations of the business too.

Bridget took all that experience and applied it to Della Leva. The shop, named after Bridget’s Italian grandmother, carries a full line of high-end coffee sourced from the Midwest under the Della Leva brand name. It also offers Mighty Leaf teas. In addition, the espresso bar features breakfast and lunch fare including pastries and scones made in-house and salads and sandwiches.

Naturally, you can’t be immersed in coffee for years without becoming obsessed with it.

“I have a huge caffeine kick because I started working in these coffee shops, and I stated drinking espresso, really getting into the espresso a couple of years ago,” she says.

That obsession was only fed by a trip to Ybor City, Florida, where Bridget discovered the famous strip filled with a long line of quirky espresso shops with Havana Cuban coffee. “I’ve never had such a caffeine kick in my life. I don’t think I’ve ever come down,” she says.

Indeed, right now Bridget’s favorite coffee drink is a cortado, a mix of equal parts espresso and steamed milk.

To young adults like herself who would like to start a business, Bridget advises surrounding themselves with positive and supportive people. She also emphasized the importance of a long-term view.

“Keep your eye on the big picture because it will be a rocky road,” she says. “But everything in life that is really memorable and wonderful has its up and downs. The big picture helps you get through all that.”

Follow Della Leva on Facebook @DellaLevaEspressoBar and Twitter @DellaLeva.

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