Toni Magno-Fish achieved her dream of owning her own cafe this spring. Contributed / Toni Magno-Fish
For chef Antonetta “Toni” Magno-Fish, owning a cafe has always been a dream. So, when the opportunity to open Magno Terra in Yarmouth came about, Magno-Fish, who grew up in Portland, was all in.
The dream started in an unconventional way during the COVID-19 pandemic. Under her personal chef card “Chefette Toni,” Magno-Fish, who told The Forecaster she has always had a passion for cooking, started selling prepared meals for people to take home.
“I started making meals out of my home,” Magno-Fish said. “People were tired of cooking. I saw a need.”
After six months of working out of her home, Magno-Fish moved to Fork Food Lab in Portland, a shared kitchen space.
Eventually, Fork Food Lab was approached by Garmin and the DeLorme family, who were looking for a cafe to fill the space in their building expansion in Yarmouth. They suggested Magno-Fish and, in April, Magno Terra Cafe officially opened.
The name “Magno Terra” is Italian for “Great Earth” and was inspired by the globe in the building.
“The concept has been a dream of mine for my whole life,” Magno-Fish said. “I didn’t think it would ever happen.”
The support for the cafe has been “great,” Magno-Fish told The Forecaster. Not only are locals flocking to the cafe, but visitors are drawn, too, thanks to Eartha, the giant revolving globe inside of the Garmin building.
Magno Terra’s Yarmouth location feels “serendipitous,” longtime customer Jessica Benn told The Forecaster.
“Magno Terra really fills a hole here,” Benn said. “She really has created a beautiful and thoughtful space for her customers that matches the person behind the food.”
When asked what she is looking forward to accomplishing with the cafe, Magno-Fish paused.
“That’s a big question!” she said. “Growing even more in the community. Creating a space where people feel nourished and happy at the same time.”
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