VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Operation Brew Coffee and Bakery is now open near Oceana in Virginia Beach.
Owner Teiana Lukianchuk said this spot has been a dream for her to open. She loves coffee, and she loves people. So, she thought: what could be better than opening a coffee shop?
"If you just want coffee, you can always go to Wawa... but if you want great coffee and a great experience, you come to Operation Brew!" Lukianchuk said with a smile.
You can grab specialty lattes or one of their signature coffees. The Strawberry Bliss and Warm Honey Lattes were our team's favorites. But they don't stop at coffee. At Operation Brew, they make all of their food fresh and in-house.
"We have Basque cheesecake, which is totally European; we have meringue, we have honey cake, we have napoleon, even our croissants are served with Chantilly cream, which is very European," said Lukianchuk.
This European-style menu is done with intention.
"I'm originally from Ukraine, and I always wanted to bring part of my culture and the way they do coffee and coffee business here to the United States," she said. She said with the ongoing war in Ukraine, it's important for her to show her culture to others.
"You've got to do something, because if you don't do something it's going to make it worse. If you share with your customer: 'Hey, I'm Ukrainian owner, this is my coffee shop.'"
She said sharing her coffee shop is important for many reasons. She wants it to feel like home to others.
"I guess because I did not always feel this way myself, I want people to feel safe in here and good and see that they are welcomed."
Lukianchuk said this place feels like home.
"I feel like I finally completed my mission. I did not know my spot anywhere in the world, I guess that goes for anyone that is foreign. Now, I feel like I have two homes, finally."
She hopes you can find a home at Operation Brew, too. "People love good coffee, and good desserts and good food, so here we go," Lukianchuk said with a smile.
Operation Brew Coffee and Bakery is located at 1329 Oceana Blvd Suite 100, Virginia Beach, VA 23454.