Leesburg Magazine

"Determined to keep the store's history in plain view they had the neon sign above the door renovated and lit for the first time in at least 34 years.  "Shoes" now had its official moniker.  With a baristas and bagels in place, Ed took the next logical step and offered a full suite of hot and cold sandwiches and subs.  Good plan, get a latte in the morning, come back for a sandwich for lunch.  And have a lemonade with that sandwich.  Shoes Cup and Cork Club serves up what I consider the finest lemonade in the known universe.  Perfect for steamy Virginia summer days."  Read more of this review


TalkLoudoun.com

"Sitting at an antique table, three men - Ed Shihadeh, Hartoun "Arthur" Varoujanian and Varoujan "John" Varoujanian - compare notes about their shared history on a lazy Saturday afternoon at Shoes Cup and Cork Club in Leesburg. Watching the snow falling upon King Street through the shop window, each man looks about the space, pointing here and there at artifacts from a different time.

Shihadeh points up to one of the jugs on a high shelf.

"We think he made his own wine," John Varoujanian said, referring to the original owner of the shoe business, which has left its mark on the new coffee shop.

Within the realm of distant memory, this storefront in the center of old town Leesburg was the site of a small shoe manufacture and repair shop owned by Sicilian immigrant Vincenzo Raneri, who had first started making and repairing shoes here after World War I. When Arthur Varoujanian took over the space in 1973, there were still wine bottles in the cellar, nestled behind a chicken wire enclosure at the bottom of the stairs."  Read more of this review

Aphioni.com

"You can’t help but grin upon entering this joint: it used to be a shoe repair shop, and still has accents of the previous trade dotting the décor. You can amuse yourself with Sudoku and the checker boards on the tables, a mixture of pillowed benches and an assortment of café chairs give this place that funky, casual, neighborhood café appeal. The sounds of Swing, Judy Garland and Sinatra were the music of the day."  Read more of this review


LeesburgTalk.com

"The universal consensus was that this is going to be a great place to hang out, grab a quick bite to eat, and when they get their beer and wine license, have a nice drink with friends over some good food."  Read more of this review


From our Patrons...

"I'm a Leesburg resident and coffee fanatic. So I'm thrilled with your new store -- let's give Starbucks and Dunkin' some stiff competition. One suggestion -- have you thought about adding a sign to the bottom of the old shoe repair sign on the front of the building? We've had friends who walked right by your place and didn't notice it. Of course, now you have an awning and sidewalk sign. I just want to make sure that people who drive by, as well, notice your place. You will definitely have my family's coffee business! Thanks."
- Kiki Thompson