A new coffee shop recently opened in the space previously occupied by Espresso Royale at 2871 Carpenter Road, just north of Packard Road in Pittsfield Township.

Owner Marina Teodorovic opened Cafe Uno after owning Divine Java in Chelsea for the past five years.

“I live in Ann Arbor and passed by this location almost every day,” Teodorovic said. “My lease in Chelsea was pretty expensive. When it came up for renewal, I decided to close that shop completely and open here.”

In addition to the advantages of a closer commute, Teodorovic got a great deal on the 1,200-square-foot space.

“I am subleasing from Espresso Royale,” she says. “I signed a deal for two and a half years, and then we’ll see how it goes. People say they are happy to see coffeeshop in this space again.”

Since opening Nov. 2, Teodorovic has noticed some differences between her customers in Chelsea and the new location.

“In Chelsea, everybody liked my fresh muffins, and I went through several batches a day. Here, lunch is busier for me with more business people who come in.”

Teodorovic has received positive feedback from customers on her vegan sandwiches, paninis, hummus and tabouleh and is looking at how to best expand her lunch offerings.

No stranger to business ownership, Teodorovic previously owned the South State Party Store and Broadway Nikkos Pizza before Divine Java in Chelsea.

“Now I need to figure out if Espresso Royale closed because of the higher overhead from being a corporate store or if this is a tough spot for any coffeeshop,” explains Teodorovic, who is well aware of the Starbucks with drive-through service about a mile away on Washtenaw Avenue.

“I know they were busy, so if I get even 50 percent of the sales they were doing, I can survive.”

As the store’s sole employee — with family helping here and there — Teodorovic is hoping to keep costs down. She also saved money by working with the store’s existing color scheme and creating an international design using posters of foreign cities and clocks showing the different time around the world.

Belle Arbor Commons, the strip mall where Café Uno is located, has seen several new tenants in the last year, including Sally Beauty Supply.

“We decided to go aggressive with the rates,” said Jim Porth, vice president, Thomas A Duke Company, the commercial real estate firm that handles the mall. “We filled all the office space last year and are currently down to two retail spaces available.”

In the meantime, business is slower than expected at Café Uno, but Teodorovic is optimistic.

“The holidays are right around the corner. And our free Wi-Fi is up now.”

Laura Blodgett is a freelance writer and a frequent contributor to AnnArbor.com.