A new coffee shop taking shape near 83rd Avenue and Happy Valley Road in North Peoria isn’t waiting for December to break out the tinsel. The Christmas Cafe, under construction inside a 14,041-square-foot Class A commercial building at 24980 N. 83rd Ave., plans to serve up holiday-themed drinks, fresh food and curated retail goods every single day of the year, under the slogan “Joy to the World, 365 Days a Year.”
The building itself, constructed in 2020, has cycled through corporate office and medical tenants before landing its newest retail resident, according to property records reviewed by LoopNet. The cafe is the creation of Victoria Andrej and Marie Pantelic, who according to WhatNow are building out a permanent, Christmas-inspired space that will welcome its first customers this fall. The pair has been sharing construction updates and menu previews on Instagram as the buildout progresses.
Peppermint Bark and a Cup Full of Cheer
Among the items already previewed is a peppermint bark latte, topped with red and green sprinkles, homemade chocolate whipped cream, and finished with a peppermint bark snowman perched on top. Beyond coffee, the cafe intends to offer fresh food alongside curated retail products, giving Peoria residents a spot for year-round coffee, food, and Christmas cheer under one roof, per the same WhatNow report.
Andrej and Pantelic aren’t strangers to running a business together. Before teaming up on the cafe, Pantelic co-founded The Yard, a Phoenix-area natural stone and countertop supply company she launched after buying 1,500 granite slabs at auction in 2011, according to CanvasRebel Magazine. Andrej served as general manager at The Yard alongside Pantelic, a working relationship documented by Northwest Christian School, before the two set their sights on hospitality.
Landing in North Peoria’s Hottest Retail Corner
The Christmas Cafe is opening directly across from The Trailhead, a Pederson Group-developed, $100-plus million, 40-acre mixed-use project at 83rd Avenue and Happy Valley Road that won Retail Project of the Year at NAIOP Arizona’s Best of 2025 awards, as reported by YourValley.net. That development serves an immediate trade area of more than 56,000 households, giving the fledgling cafe a built-in customer base within walking distance…