Everyone has a dream. The difference however, between Keith Strenger and “everyone else” is that Strenger managed to turn his into reality, a successful one at that. Three years ago, he opened Pepo Melo, one of Claremont Village’s more prominent and successful stores. Pepo Melo is one of the more popular food establishments which offers a variety of fresh fruit and even acai bowls. This month, Strenger will once again tie down roots to the city, as he debuts a small and welcoming coffee and donuts shop. One which will surely exceed expectations and create a buzzing atmosphere for customers. Just next door to Pepo Melo will be Nosy Neighbor, a welcoming and enticing bakery featuring classic mini donuts and great coffee.

Strenger knew he always wanted to open up another business. After opening Pepo Melo, the lease for the small space next door became available, and Strenger took the opportunity.
“I wanted the right person to take over this space, ” Strenger said. “I always knew I wanted to do something else after Pepo Melo but I never knew if that meant expanding Pepo Melo or making a whole other business. I had lots of experience with mini donuts during my time in San Francisco, and I was excited about the idea of bringing that to Claremont.”

Immediately after buying the space, Strenger made a plan for the business, which included a catchy name to match the unique energy of Claremont. “Nosy Neighbor.”
“I thought that Claremont was a perfect town to call Nosy.” Strenger said. “Everyone knows each other, and they all have something to say about somebody else, or about something else. And it’s good, bad, and all the stuff and between.”

Strenger wanted to implement a name that had represented the energy of Claremont. He is set on Nosy Neighbor being a place where people can stop by all the time.

“This town is so charming because it’s one of the few towns where everyone knows each other, where people still read the local newspaper, and where people bind together as a community that knows each other.” Strenger said. “When people think of Claremont, we want them to think of us, and we want to become the regular place that people can stop by. Our prices are affordable for almost everyone.”

Nosy Neighbor will include classic mini donuts, which can include a wide variety of sweetened flavorings in addition.

“You can put various sweeteners on them like sugar and cinnamon,” Strenger said. “We’re going to have more unique things. We’ll have some very unique powders like strawberry, cotton candy, marshmallow … powders that you can put on the donuts to add a different flair to it.”

The store offers pickups, as well as pre ordering. Although there are other bakeries available in the village, Nosy Neighbor is unique with its implemented “grab and go” strategy. Strenger believes this is convenient for most people, and it’s an efficient way to stay safe throughout the pandemic. People have seen small businesses suffer through the pandemic these past two years. However, based on the store’s line around the block on opening day, it’s concludable that pandemic or not, Nosy Neighbor will be just fine.