A local couple is seeking crowdfunding to help them open a new cafe in the 35 Rosebrook Plaza, where people can swing by to grab a coffee and pastry to go, or sit down to enjoy a leisurely breakfast or lunch.

“I want to bring something fresh to the town,” said Ronald Besse, who would be opening the cafe with his fiancée, Erin Marks.

The cafe would be called the Grind Cafe and Eatery, and Besse said that it would be characterized by fresh, local food.

All the baked goods would be baked on-site each day, and Besse wants to work with as many farmers and other local establishments as he can to make the cafe a uniquely local experience.

“You want a breakfast sandwich? The egg isn’t frozen, we’re cooking it on the grill. Everything is baked there so you’re getting it fresh,” Besse said.

The cafe would be located in the storefront next to Five Guys, a location he said is especially well-suited for a cafe due to its proximity to the luxury apartments, the hotel, Wareham Crossing, and the highway. 

“That side of town desperately needs something like that,” Besse said. “[It will be] a place that you can come in and it’s neat, it’s clean, it’s inviting.”

The hotel, he said, only does a continental breakfast, so guests looking for something more substantial would likely want to walk over to the cafe.

Additionally, Besse plans to get into catering smaller events and meetings, offering coffee to-go for groups and platters of sandwiches and pastries.

In addition to offering standard breakfast and lunch items and pastries, Besse said he is in the process of developing some signature dishes that aren’t easily available elsewhere on the South Coast.

Besse started working at Dunkin’ Donuts when he was 14, and when he was 15, he was made a manager. He’s been working in management ever since — staying at Dunkin’ for several years and later working at Five Guys for a total of more than a decade in food service. Over the last five years, he has worked managing stores at CVS and Harbor Freight. His fiancée has worked at CVS for 13 years and is currently a manager.  

Besse ran for the Board of Selectmen earlier this year, and plans to run again. He was recently appointed to the Conservation Commission.

Besse said that he and his fiancée have worked extensively on researching other area businesses and doing market research, and he feels confident that the business will work.

In addition to working with traditional investors and the Small Business Administration, Besse is seeking funding through a site called Mainvest, which allows non accredited investors to invest in small businesses in amounts starting at $100.

The cafe's founders are hoping to raise between $75,000 and $107,000 on the platform, which would be used for renovations and building out the cafe. If the cafe doesn’t raise at least $75,000 by September 30, investors’ money will be returned.

For more information, or to request a menu item, go to www.facebook.com/thegrindcafewareham.