About Us
The Heart of Ms. Velvet's
Our team at Ms. Velvet’s Café is committed to helping the movers and doers of the Lehigh Valley stay on the go with delicious breakfast and lunch options.
Ms. Velvet’s has been a dream of Carlos Marrero for over 20 years. With extensive experience in the food industry, Carlos wanted to open his own café to share his passion while serving the local community.
In February of 2017, Carlos unexpectedly lost his beloved sister, Ruby, to a drunk driver & hit-and-run accident. Since then, his passion for beginning this café has only strengthened. Ms. Velvet’s is inspired by and in loving memory of Ruby Marrero, a vessel of fun, life, and love.
The hope of Ms. Velvet’s Café is to spread that fun, life, and love through serving the community as well as expanding to hire people with special needs or those who have never had a job before.
The Name
Because of Ruby’s beautiful red locks, her family affectionately called her nicknames like Ruby Red, Strawberry Shortcake, and Carlos’s favorite: Ms. Velvet. When it came time for Carlos to select a name for his new business, the choice was easy.
The Location
239 N. 4th St. is just two blocks from where Ruby worked, lived, and died. Ruby’s life was invested in Allentown, and this location is a perfect fit to honor her memory.
Carlos Marrero
Owner
Ms. Velvet’s owner and fearless leader, Carlos Marrero, brings a zest for life and genuine care for others into his cooking and service. With over 20 years of experience in the food industry, Carlos offers a skilled eye for all things restaurant related.
Carlos began developing his skills at just 15-years-old when he took a $5.15/ hr job at McDonald’s. Within a few short years, Carlos was running 9 stores between New Jersey and Pennsylvania. He continued to successfully manage other local restaurants like Bacon Bagels, New York Gyros, Paninos Sandwich Shop, and a variety of other establishments. Carlos also served as a multi-unit manager of Dunkin’ Donuts, running 3 locations at one time.
In each role, Carlos incorporated his passion for cooking and for people. Carlos’s heart for the community and genuine love for working with people has spurred his career since the start. After years of developing experience, Carlos is ecstatic to be opening up his own café.
