The smell of coffee hits instantly as you enter through the double doors. The sounds of laughter, conversation, and the insistent whirring of the coffee grinder fill your ear drums as you walk towards the counter. Smiling faces greet you as they take your order. You watch as the barista, no, the artist, craft your beverage exactly to your liking. When you finally receive your order, it is worth the wait. The taste of locally sourced coffee beans hits your taste buds as you sip from your drink. The warm buzzing from the overhead lights and upbeat jazz music add to the scenery as you sit and enjoy the atmosphere of this quaint little coffee shop.
Andrea Newton, 33, and general manager at The Bridge, Coffee and Community has been in the food business for the past 22 years and has been a part of many restaurant openings. When the Bridge opened in Nov. of 2023, Mrs. Newton didn’t know exactly what she was getting herself into, she said “I wanted to offer some help in some way.”
Initially she didn’t want to work at The Bridge but decided she wanted to lend a hand any way she could. Fortunately, that meant taking over the position on General Manager for the budding Coffee business owned by Restoration Church in Levittown.
Starting off as a dishwasher at 14, Andrea worked her way up in the restaurant business and gained a passion for the kitchen. Before working at The Bridge, Andrea was at a Starr Restaurants in Philadelphia for eight years before being laid off during the pandemic. She was then the General Manager at Panera Bread for two years, up until she learned about The Bridge in Aug. 2023.
“Being able to show my son that you can have a family and work hard is super important.”
Family is everything to Andrea, so being able to be a role model for her son Aiden is very important, especially when it comes to her work.
“Restoration and The Bridge’s mission is there to compliment my lifestyle.”
‘Come as you are’ is a big message at both Restoration Church and The Bridge, and this ideal is not uncommon in Andrea’s life. Having struggled with sobriety in the past and continuing to be sober for the past two years, Andrea takes this issue very seriously. She prides The Bridge on being a ‘safe space’ for anyone in any walk of life. They hold a 12-step meeting on Wed. for people struggling with addiction as well.
Andrea isn’t new to Bucks County. Having grown up in Yardley, she’s lived in the area her whole life, attending Pennsbury High School.
She’s grown a love for her community in the time that she’s been here and hopes that The Bridge can continue to be a beacon of hope and safety for its community.
Her own philosophy on The Bridge is to “fill people up for the day” whether that’s with coffee or with the smile on a friendly face.
For more information about The Bridge please visit www.thebridge.coffee and follow them on Instagram @bridgecoffeepa, or stop by the actual shop located at 6800 Bristol-Emilie Rd, Levittown, PA 19057