• Courtesy Of Café Salud
• Café Salud owner Sarah Natvig (left)

A wise person once said, "When God closes a coffee shop, she opens a taco joint." Well, maybe not, but that's what's happening in Randolph, where Black Krim Tavern owner Sarah Natvig plans to open Café Salud in the old Three Bean Café space at 22 Pleasant Street.

When the shop starts flying the "welcome" flag — in early June, Natvig said — it'll be open Wednesday through Sunday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., for coffee, fresh-pressed juices, tacos and ice cream.

Given that she's stepping into a coffee-shop owner's shoes, Natvig wants to keep java on the menu, she said. But the plan is to offer basic drip roasts — probably from Vermont Coffee Company, which was the everyday cup at Three Bean — without high-end espresso service, which is labor-intensive and requires pricey equipment.

Speaking with more ebullience about the food at Café Salud, Natvig said it will serve as a less-formal foil to the fare at her upscale tavern, specifically to items such as homemade ice cream and fanciful tacos. At Café Salud, Natvig plans to keep things straightforward with five standard tacos, stuffed with fish, ground beef, jerk chicken, pulled pork or veggies, along with various iterations of beans, rice and salsa. "The best thing about tacos is, they really hit the entire market: vegan, dairy-free, men, women ... It's so valuable to be able to do that," she said.

As at Black Krim, the café's menu will rely heavily on produce from Pebble Brook Farm in Brookfield, owned by Natvig's husband, Chip. Meats will come from White River Valley friends and neighbors.

Natvig envisions the new spot as a local hangout. That casual model, she admits, is "not really the thing at Black Krim," where most entrées fall in the $20 range and tend to be elaborate. "If you start digging into the [meaning of the] word salud," Natvig said, "it really comes down to good health, good family, good community."

She hopes her new business will fit that mold, she added, while contributing to the vitality of the downtown. "Randolph has a lot of great energy right now," Natvig said. "A lot of great stuff is happening."