Although Church Alley Cafe has only been in business for a little more than a year, the small coffee shop in the heart of New Iberia has already had a large impact in the community.

That was evident when the business won not just one, but three categories in Best of the Teche 2022, garnering awards in the Best New Business, Best Coffee Shop and Most Unique Business categories of Best of the Teche.

Church Alley Cafe owner Mark Delahoussaye said the awards were an honor last year, and being chosen as a finalist for Best of the Teche this year is yet another achievement he is proud of.

“It’s definitely an honor to be selected,” Delahoussaye said. “Growing up in New Iberia I always saw Best of the Teche as a prestigious honor, so I was very honored to win last year in three different categories and am just as honored this year.”

Specializing in coffee, soups and salads, Church Alley Cafe opened in January of 2022 in New Iberia’s Church Alley, which serves as a pedestrian intersection between Main and St. Peter streets in downtown New Iberia.

The city of New Iberia created the Church Alley pocket park in 2018 as a way to not only beautify an area of the alley that had previously just been grass, but also to add historical and cultural signs about the city of New Iberia.

Investing in the area and providing a cozy destination for coffee lovers in New Iberia has been a dream come true for Delahoussaye, and the community has responded excitedly in turn for the locally owned business that is going strong a year-and-a-half later.