'Under the library:' New cafe opens at Auburn Library

AUBURN – Cibo means “food” in Italian. Sotto i Libri means “under the library.”

Anything else you need to know about Auburn’s newest cafe?

Cibo opened Monday on the lower level of the Auburn Public Library nearly two years after the popular Cafe LA closed in that space.

At Cibo, if you want something exotic for breakfast or lunch, you may have to wait a while. If you want a nice cup of coffee and maybe an English muffin or egg sandwich, Cibo has you covered.

“We’re just getting going,” says Craig Tribuno, owner of the cafe. “We’re really kind of going under the radar and slowly growing a menu in the process.”

Tribuno of Auburn said he grew up in the food industry, but he’s been away from it for a while. He has lived in Maine since 1982, and in Auburn since 2004. To get Cibo running, he has brought in his nephew, Corwin Jericho Saint Pierre, to manage the business.

Saint Pierre, it turns out, has no history in the food industry, but will learn on the job.

“We’re going only as fast as he can learn the industry,” Tribuno said.

The library has been without a cafe since January 2017 when Cafe LA closed.

“This has been the longest gap between cafes,” said Library Technician James Allard.

Tribuno said they had planned to open the cafe in a few weeks. City officials finished their inspections early, however, and the business was cleared to open.

Tribuno and his crew figured why not?

“It’s mostly about building community and some delicious food,” he said. “We haven’t delivered on delicious food just yet. We’re really kind of basic right now.”

In a month or so, Tribuno said, they expect to have a more-expansive menu. For now, he is willing to experience a more-casual opening, while the community gets to know the new business.

“We’re really excited to be part of the fabric of the public library,” Tribuno said. ‘I’m just so excited to be in that space. The city has been supportive. The library has been wonderfully supportive.”

While setting up the new shop, Tribuno said he has also had help from other restaurant workers, including those across the bridge at Davinci’s.

“There’s been a lot of community support,” Tribuno said. “We could not be happier.”