• Courtesy
• From left: Abbey LaMay-West, Wayne Johnson, Skye Johnson and Jess Denny of Smoke and Lola's

Bristol's newest breakfast and lunch biz, Smoke and Lola's, opened bright and early on Saturday. The takeout spot co-owned by Abbey LaMay-West and chef Wayne Johnson serves coffee, breakfast sandwiches and other traditional café foods starting at 6:30 a.m. during the week and 7:30 a.m. on weekends.

The space at 28 North Street — named for Johnson and LaMay-West's dogs —was most recently home to Jones the Boy Bake Shop, which closed its retail bakery in October to focus on wholesale. Smoke and Lola's will continue to offer some Jones the Boy treats, café manager Jess Denny said.

The café currently serves drip coffee from Essex's Uncommon Coffee, housemade chai and hot chocolate; espresso drinks will hit the menu in a few weeks. In addition to breakfast sandwiches, grab-and-go morning options include oatmeal, yogurt parfait and seasonal hand pies.

At lunch, the café offers sandwiches, hot-pressed panini, focaccia, quiche, spanakopita and stromboli. Eventually, the team plans to add a pantry-style market selling goods from local farmers, both fresh and canned.

Smoke and Lola also has a more unusual offering inspired by Johnson's late friend Pat Peters, who gave away soup from her home in Middlebury for many years.

"[Peters] believed everybody deserved a well-cooked, homemade hot meal," Denny said. "We're basically paying homage to that."

Johnson will prepare one of a regular rotation of soups each day, which the café will serve at no cost (limited to one cup per person). So far, Smoke and Lola's has secured sponsorship from community members for nine weeks of free soup.