Maria’s Gourmet Cafe has expanded to Swampscott, and owner Maria Torres said the past month “has been great.”

“Every single day, we’ve seen new faces. Now we have regular people coming in,” Torres told the Swampscott Tides. “They found a new place to come and do work or have lunch with friends. We have mothers come in with their kids, grandmothers come in with their grandchildren. It’s really nice just to see so many different people trying us out and coming back.”

Maria’s Gourmet started as a market in Marblehead. For nearly a decade, the Marblehead location has been known for its grab-and-go meals, including chicken pot pie, soups, quiches and pasta salads. Torres is also known for her muffins.

“The blueberry (muffin) is the best seller. That seems to be everyone’s favorite,” Torres said. “My personal favorite is banana chocolate chip. I love it. I can’t always eat my own muffins but it’s hard not to pick up all of the crumbs that come out.”

Now, guests in Swampscott can enjoy the muffins and other cafe fare, including breakfast sandwiches such as a poached lobster sandwich with scrambled eggs and Boursin cheese, and an option with a fried egg, sausage patty, ham and Gouda. 

“We always felt that there was a need for this,” Torres said. “Always people said they wanted to have a place to sit down, have a muffin, have a coffee.”

Maria’s Gourmet Cafe, accessed from outside the Swampscott Center for the Performing Arts, offers pastries as well as a variety of coffee and tea options, from London fogs to lattes, cappuccinos and chai.

There are lunch options as well, including the “Bessom” grilled chicken sandwich; “The Atlantic,” with grilled salmon, pesto aioli, roasted red peppers, mozzarella and arugula; as well as the “Golden Hour,” with roasted honey turkey, brie, fig jam, arugula and a honey mustard aioli. 

The menu is a small excerpt of Torres’ abilities. She said the kitchen is her happy place, and she’s always enjoyed baking and cooking for everyone. Torres has grown a name for herself as well catering in both Marblehead and Swampscott. 

But now, in Swampscott, it’s Torres’ daughter Emily Figueroa’s time to shine. Figueroa serves as the cafe’s manager. 

“She’s always been very involved in everything I’ve done since she was very, very little. She already knew how to do the register by the time she was like seven,” Torres said. “This time, this was more of her putting all of her creative side into this business. It was more of how she likes things. I’m very proud of what she’s done.”

Torres called Maria’s Gourmet Cafe in Swampscott Figueroa’s “baby” and said that “it’s really working out well.”

George the dog also serves as Maria’s Gourmet Cafe’s “official greeter.”

“He’s employee of the month already,” Torres said. “People come just to meet him. They ask ‘Where’s George? We want to meet him.’ He’ll be around the back of the building just chilling and then he gets called to be on duty. He comes and fulfills his duties.”

But the fun vibes with George and the family atmosphere are exactly what Torres said she wanted for the Swampscott cafe: a “warm place.”

“We want people to come and relax, forget about their phone and social media, just be there and be present, enjoying the company with or by themselves,” Torres said. “I kind of want to go back in time…I want people to be able to enjoy the moment with a coffee or a muffin and the company they’re with. I just love seeing people come in and talking and enjoying it all.”

Maria’s Gourmet Cafe is open Monday through Saturday 6 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.