New coffee shop in Roswell gives Ukrainian refugees a taste of home

As a deadly conflict between Russia and Ukraine rages on overseas, the opening of a new coffee shop in Roswell provides a sense of comfort to those craving a taste of the familiar.

Lviv Croissants has hundreds of franchise locations in Ukraine but opened the doors of its first US location over the weekend.

"It’s definitely very difficult when you have to leave everything behind and move to a new country…people feel that this place feels like home," Lviv Croissants US Director of Development Oleh Kindzer told FOX 5.

The Roswell location features a merging of eastern European style and American flavors as well as a staff mostly made up of Ukrainian refugees.

"We’re very happy to bring a Ukranian brand to America especially during such difficult times," Kindzer added.

CEO Brett Larrabee says the idea to open a Lviv in the US started six years ago when he visited the country, but it was the war that ultimately made it a reality.

"One of our successful franchisees…came here to visit his son for a wedding and that week, the war broke out and he was kind of stuck…the stars aligned from there," he recalled.

So far, they say it’s been a successful opening week.

"Really, we’ve had hundreds if not thousands of people come by in the last few days," he said.

Many visitors left messages in solidarity on a post-it board mounted in the entryway.

"The store has a very welcoming atmosphere," Kindzer stated.

It’s an atmosphere that, for some, serves as an invitation to try something new and for others a moment to feel at home.

On each cup from Lviv you can find a QR code linking to U4U Kids—a program connecting Ukrainian orphans with American families.