Giving Tree Cafe gets ready to open in former ABC Cafe location

Ithaca's former ABC Cafe location in Collegetown is home to the new Giving Tree Cafe.

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Ithaca, 11 January 10 -- A little less than seven months since its predecessor, the popular ABC Cafe, closed its doors, a new vegetarian-focused eatery is slated to open in lower Collegetown. The Giving Tree Cafe will open for business on Wednesday, 13 January, on Stewart Avenue.

Slated to be open 9am-9pm daily except for Mondays, later on nights with live music, Giving Tree will feature a vegetarian menu that will provide vegan, raw, gluten-free, locally sourced, and organic food in many instances.

Huevos Rancheros at the ABC Cafe.

The menu will look familiar to fans of ABC's fresh cuisine, with such Mexican-influenced dishes as nachos, black bean burgers, and burritos throughout, plus vegan pesto or tomato-basil sauces for pasta, and a selection of soups and salads. Sean Lunny, one of three owners who came from ABC's staff, says they'll also be featuring a pizza night on Fridays and will, of course, reprise the legendary ABC brunch on weekends.

Before long, Lunny says the menu will expand to include nightly specials with international themes, as well as fresh baked goods. The right-hand door will offer a coffee counter for carry-out orders and both brewed coffee and espresso drinks.

Giving Tree will feature local musicians, as did its predecessor. Currently scheduled to open the cafe's music lineup are the duo of Nate & Kate, who'll perform on Valentine's Day. In the meantime, the cafe's walls will feature art by local artists.

The last couple of days before Giving Tree opens on Wednesday will include a scramble to finalize the menu and tidy up from the recent flurry of activity, which included a fresh coat of paint.