Known for her First Place Coffee Truck, Devon McConville longed to open a brick-and-mortar eatery.

In early 2026, she will introduce the public to Matilda’s All Day Café in a 1914 bungalow in Roosevelt Row.

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“I had been waiting patiently to find the right space,” McConville said. “My main motivation was to continue growing First Place Coffee in a way that felt really natural. When this space became available, and the opportunity was presented to me, I felt it was the perfect place to continue our growth and our story.”

The “story” will continue with coffee, pastries, wine, cocktails, and nonalcoholic beverages in a welcoming setting. Matilda’s All Day will serve seasonal ingredients in its European-style cuisine. 

“We will feature very simple foods but with very beautiful ingredients and presented really well,” she said.

McConville was inspired by a trip to France in 2023, during which she experienced the European café culture and visited the Alps.

“I’m an avid outdoors person and hiker,” the New York native said. “That was the whole purpose behind the trip — but we made it a dual-purpose trip. We spent time in the city and in nature, which I love.”

McConville worked in finance and felt the need to find something more meaningful. In 2015, made a significant life decision — to work in a coffee shop.

“I went from financial security to working in a coffee shop, which isn’t the highest-paying job in the world,” she explained. “I looked at it as a paid education to see if this was something I wanted to do. Looking back, I think it was the best decision for me. The lessons learned haven’t been easy, but I’m happier in my life.”

In 2018, McConville started First Place Coffee, which has since built a strong community and loyal customers. The journey to opening Matilda’s All Day Café was a natural next step.

“When we found this location, we knew it wasn’t just going to be a coffee shop,” she said. “It was obviously going to be a much bigger concept with food and a bar.

“We wanted to do something a bit different, and something that feels special, not only to me but to my employees, my team and the community.”

The eatery’s moniker, “Matilda,” is the nickname for her 1970s-vintage Chevy P10 truck that houses First Place Coffee.

“It didn’t feel fitting to continue to call this aspect of the business First Place Coffee. Calling it ‘Matilda’ just made sense [as we’re] continuing this part of our journey.”

Matilda’s All Day Café primarily employs women; however, the “amazing” chef is Matt Celaya from the mobile food concept, Más Amable. Celaya and McConville have been in each other’s “orbit for a long time.”

“The timing aligned for both of us,” she said.

“We’ve enjoyed collaborating on a food menu, which has been really wonderful. There will be some men working at Matilda’s, but I mostly see us still being mostly women in the business. It’s something I’ve really loved about the seven years of First Place Coffee.”

For McConville, she loves what she calls “straightforward coffee,” such as drip coffee, a cappuccino, or an espresso.

“It’s funny because First Place Coffee is definitely known for our fun, creative, seasonal drinks,” she said.

Complementary design

McConville recruited Carmen Tabatabay and Sophia Pappas of Phoenix’s Need to Know as interior designers in January 2025. Tabatabay said she preserved the building’s historic designation.

Mindful of the exterior’s features, Tabatabay said the firm just changed the sign.

“Every project is a snowflake. It’s very unique,” she said.

“Working with historic buildings is exciting because you have a lot to work with. We knew what Devon wanted to incorporate into the space, in terms of style. She traveled to Europe often and wanted to bring some of that brasserie charm to the space. There was a time when the English Arts and Crafts movement was happening in the United States. So, it didn’t seem phony to bring it to the building.”

McConville wanted New York diner vibes with Southwestern elements, so the design team installed vintage accessories and painted the trim and molding as well.

“Everything in the building was painted,” Tabatabay said. “We did the molding and baseboards in this deep, rich chocolatey brown color. Then we painted the walls, shifting from a starker white to a creamy white, and it just made the space come alive.”

The designer said Matilda’s All Day Café was a “fun opportunity” because the bungalow’s small rooms needed to feel connected while preserving its spirit. Accessories and custom details brought them together.

“She [McConville] trusted the design process,” she said. “We tested different paints and tiles, but we ultimately ended up with something really special. We had custom banquettes and a really fun mirror design.

The bar has the bar top, and on the other side, there is a floating bar table and a mirrored wall that runs the entire space. We were able to create these custom 4-inch by 4-inch wood trim details all around.”

Mixed emotions

McConville said she feels a “multitude of emotions” about opening a new business.

“Obviously there are some nerves involved with taking such a big leap and putting yourself out there in these ways,” McConville said.

“But I really feel that we have such an amazing community and following that we’ve cultivated over the last seven years, which has been nothing but just super supportive. With me and my business and my story and my team, and so I feel really confident in in doing something that’s much bigger than just a mobile concept.

“There are a lot of things that I feel like are naturally falling into place. All of the right people are coming into the fold, and so I feel really grateful for all of those reasons.”

Matilda’s All Day Café is located at 822 N. Sixth Avenue, Phoenix, near Margaret T. Hance Park, matildasallday.com.