Today we’d like to introduce you to Annie Johnston.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I grew up in Chapel Hill, NC in a neighborhood just down the street from the Southern Village community where my cafe is currently located. My first jobs in high school were in restaurants that were actually located in Southern Village, and this is when the seed of one day opening my own restaurant or cafe was planted. When I went to college, though, I stopped working in hospitality and decided that I wanted to pursue a career in entrepreneurship and business development. Despite still being drawn to hospitality, I told myself that there were other sectors where I would get more financial return from the business development work I wanted to do. So I launched an online company and while I enjoyed the entrepreneurial process, I did not enjoy the day-to-day of the industry and spending most of the day on a computer. At this point, I revisited my initial dream of owning a cafe, which combined my love of small business and hospitality. I spent about a year doing research (I’d actually been unconsciously doing research for years every time I went to a cafe as a customer) and working in a local coffee shop before a space in Southern Village, the stomping ground of my younger years, became available and I jumped on it. I opened my cafe, La Vita Dolce, in 2015. Since then, the business has grown quite a bit and our current space is now too small. We’re in the process of building out a new space that’s three times the size, a few doors down. We hope to make that move by early spring 2026.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
There have been quite a few struggles. In October 2020 I opened a restaurant, Market and Moss. We were supposed to open in April 2020, but the COVID pandemic hit so we waited. By October, it was clear that COVID wasn’t going anywhere for a while, and we just had to open. That first year was a struggle. We had no baseline or experience and were learning how to operate this brand new business in an environment that was not only extremely difficult but constantly changing.
At the same time, business dropped at my other business, La Vita Dolce. My Director of Operations, who was supposed to spend most of her time at the new restaurant, instead had to help at the cafe. I was pulled in a lot of directions. It was pure determination that got us through. While the restaurant made it through the pandemic, we eventually closed in June 2025. This was an extremely difficult decision. We had amazing guests and a very special staff and it broke my heart to close that business, but it was the right thing to do. We were continually understaffed and I was never able to get Market and Moss to a place where the effort we were putting in was giving us the returns we wanted.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
La Vita Dolce is an all-day cafe that serves specialty coffee, made-in-house gelato, wine, and light fare. We welcome all to stop in for almost any reason – to grab a latte to go, to do work, or to meet up with friends.
We provide small, everyday treats to our customers and hopefully give them a moment of escape. A cortado while you read a book, an afternoon gelato trip with the kids, or a bottle of wine at our Wine Down Wednesday event while you enjoy live music on the patio with neighbors – these are all simple pleasures, but are often the moments that make our day brighter.
Do you any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
Probably when I got my first puppy. I love animals and I could just feel the unconditional companionship and love that dogs give so freely.
I think we try to create something a bit similar at the business – open arms, a welcoming atmosphere, and baristas who really want to get to know you.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.lavitadolcecafe.com/
- Instagram: @lavitadolcesv
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LaVitaDolceCafe/
