Zola’s Cafe

Zola's Cafe holds the corner of East Main Street and D Street Southeast in downtown Auburn, and the room is built for staying. A November 2025 Auburn Reporter profile singled out the fireplace corner and its couch as one of the cafe's best features, and the walls carry work by local artists, with local jewelry vendors selling there as well. One longtime couple told the paper they have ordered doppios there nearly every day since it opened, which they put at nearly two decades ago, and once cross country skied downtown through close to a foot of snow to keep the streak going.

The drinks lean on espresso, backed by a monthly specials menu that the Reporter says draws customers of every age. The cafe's own ordering page sells coffee in five sizes, from an 8 ounce cup up to a 32 ounce one, and lists Art as a menu category right beside the food. No source we could find names the roaster, so that one is a question for the counter.

Owner Matthew Noesen took over in February 2020 after 15 years cooking in fine dining, and he told the Reporter he is expanding the breakfast menu and taking it upscale. Google's summary of the cafe lists paninis and gluten free options alongside the espresso and baked goods, and the ordering page runs breakfast, sandwiches, soups, salads and pastries. Photos on the Google listing show purple and lime green walls, a reclaimed wood accent wall, chalkboard menus over the pastry case and a gold sunburst mirror behind the counter.

Hours are 7am to 5pm on weekdays and 8am to 3pm on Saturday and Sunday, so this is a breakfast and lunch stop rather than an evening one. Pickup, curbside pickup and delivery within a limited area run through the online ordering page. Google lists a wheelchair accessible entrance, restroom and seating, and the patio sits right on the corner of Main and D.