After six years, The Laurel Center 's Railway Café is finally ready to serve its first guests.

The small restaurant and coffee shop at 430 N. Cameron St. in Winchester, based inside a completely refurbished CSX train station, will open for business at 7 a.m. today.

To prepare for the opening, the Railway Café held a private tasting session last week with about three dozen invited guests.

"We're just so delighted to have you guys here," said Faith Power, executive director of The Laurel Center.

The new café is managed by Donnie Hawkins, a former executive chef at George Washington University in Washington, D.C.

"I was looking for a platform to be able to give back to the community, help individuals that are in need and empower people," Hawkins said. "That's what I'm here to do."

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