Greenleafs Cafe, East Granby

At 40 years old, and with 20 of those years spent running a country club, Tim Gilchrist decided it was time to kick off the cleats. He opened a café and instead of branding it with a clichéd name or the license plate of his first car, Tim landed on something a tad more sentimental: his mother's maiden name. Today, natural light pours through two large windows stationed at the front of Greenleaf's Cafe, where diners gather at tables or along an elevated countertop for breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner six days per week. The café also swings its doors open for parties and special events and caters outside gatherings such as weddings, birthdays, and anniversaries.