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Peabody Council on Agings's staff, from left, Judy Walker, Laurie Nadeau, and Carol McMahon dress in server outfits during a luncheon to celebrate the opening of the new 'Friends Cafe'. (Libby O'Neill) Purchase this photo

At the Peabody Senior Center, that’s what Friends are for

Anne Marie Tobin

February 10, 2023 by Anne Marie Tobin

As if the Peter A. Torigian Center wasn’t already doing plenty for Peabody’s seniors, the Council on Aging has taken it up a notch with a beautiful, trendy, state-of-the-art café.

President of the Friends of the Peabody Council on Aging Mike Zellen proudly kicked off the grand opening of the ‘Friends’ Café’ with a ceremonial ribbon cutting on Feb. 8. Zellen was joined by Friends board members, Director Carolyn Wynn, members of her staff and numerous volunteers. 

On Thursday, a large group of elected and city officials and dignitaries got their first taste at a special luncheon.

“This is a wonderful addition to our Senior Center,” said Mayor Edward A. Bettencourt, Jr. “I am thrilled that we were able to provide this beautiful location for our seniors to eat, talk and enjoy one another’s company. A giant ‘thank you’ to our Friends committee and the amazing staff at the Senior Center.”

Formerly the café and gift shop, the new café comfortably seats 24 patrons, offering table and chair height counter seating. The atmosphere is warm and ambient, yet sunny and cheery. 

Administrative Assistant Carol McMahon said the café is “the brainchild” of Director Carolyn Wynn.

“For years she has always dreamed of making that space into an inviting and beautiful restaurant offering seniors a more ambient dining experience with additional menu options,” McMahon said. 

The new menu will feature familiar favorites, but will also offer healthy, nutritious items including a variety of sandwiches, soups, salads and hot entrees.

“The menu will have more than just things like meatloaf and gravy as our seniors are getting younger and they want to have healthy options. It’s just not like it used to be as more seniors are taking early retirement,” said Wynn. “Plus, most senior centers require that you have to order food in advance, but we cook to order, so this is a great option for our seniors and will really expand what we are able to offer.”

The project began taking shape in February 2022 when Wynn approached McMahon and asked her if she would like to design this new space. McMahon enlisted the maintenance team of Mike Callahan and Tommy Santos, who she described as “unstoppable.” 

“With much collaboration and certainly a team effort, we couldn’t be more pleased with the end result,” McMahon said. “If you are looking for a different dining experience other than our popular dining hall, this is it!”

State Rep. Thomas Walsh (D-Peabody) credited the Council on Aging for working together to come up with such a novel idea.

“The creative efforts of the Senior Center staff with the support of the Council on Aging has provided a new comfortable space for seniors to gather and spend time with each other,” Walsh said. “The cafe creates another vibrant setting for all to enjoy.”

All lunches are $6 cash only, including choice of beverage, with dessert being an additional $2. Flavored coffees and unique lunches will be served daily. “To Go” options are available also and pagers will be given to those who have to wait for a table. The café is open for lunch between 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. for meal service and closes at 2. “To Go” lunches must be ordered between 11:15-11:30.a.m.

Ward 4 Councilor Julie Daigle said she looked forward to the event all morning.

“It was a nice event and it was so worth the wait,” Daigle said. “They treated us like celebrities. Every time you turned around they had staff waiting to help you and it really felt like a small version of a country club the way it faces the field, didn’t realize the cafe overlooks the field. In a way it’s like a small version of a country club,” said Ward 4 Councilor Julie Daigle. “It was fantastic to see they are providing a service that is so needed.”

“The vision and creativity that Carolyn and her staff has amazes me,” said Ward 3 Councilor Stephanie Peach.

“The café is another feather in the cap for the best senior center in the state,” said Councilor-at-Large Tom Gould.

“The Senior Center and the staff does incredible work to increase senior’s quality of life, not just in Peabody, but throughout the North Shore,” said Councilor-at-Large Ryan Melville. “They did a great job. It’s impressive and the food was excellent.”

Wynn said the café is just another effort on the part of the council to address the needs of seniors, which are getting more and more diverse. 

“Not only do we have more active seniors who are using our services, but we are also seeing younger seniors who want to volunteer,” Wynn said. “We now see several different generations across the board with diverse interests. So the goal is to always keep as many options as possible with many different selections. It’s just not one size fits all anymore.”

McMahon said the cafe will offer outside dining on the outdoor patio when weather permits starting in the spring, providing additional seating under the awnings. McMahon said breakfast will likely be offered in the near future. The cafe will officially open to the public at the end of the month.