All Theresa Vojtech had known was a career in nursing. So when she took the plunge from the fast pace of doctors offices to an artsy, relaxed Nevada City café, she had to learn a whole new skill set.

Like how to make coffee drinks.

“It's definitely more creative,” she said of her new role as café manager, where she directs a staff and concocts new menu ideas.

Broad Street Bistro's white picket fence and sweeping patio are set on prime real estate just across from the historic Nevada Theatre. It makes a prime lookout during bike races and other downtown events, and locals and tourists alike make the hangout their own.

“It amazes me how many interesting people we meet — world travelers, artists, musicians,” said her husband and co-owner Don Vojtech. “People bring in computers and use it as a getaway.”

Broad Street Bistro has a distinct Nevada City flavor. Local art adorns the colorful walls; April's display was a striking collection by inmate-artists from New Folsom Prison. Live music and poetry nights dot the calendar.

The butter-colored building has a long history of housing cafés. When the Vojtechs took over three years ago, they expanded the offerings to bring in paninis, soups and salads; the drink menu ventures beyond lattes and tea to beer and wine.

Hours stretch from breakfast to dinnertime.

The couple's 35-year relationship is the story of a South Dakota girl — Theresa is part Native American and a member of the Rosebud Sioux tribe — and a “hippie in the country,” Don said.

For his first date with Theresa in Oklahoma, he picked her up in an old pickup truck, wearing overalls and long, hippie-era locks.

“I swept her off her feet,” he said.

They have five children, and went on to careers as a registered nurse and cabinet salesman.

But it was a six-week trip to the llama land and tight-knit villages of Peru a few years ago that convinced them they needed a mid-life career change.

“We came back and wanted to become more part of the community,” Don said. “We wanted a coffee shop to be more of a meeting place.”

Patrons are buying into the idea. A “board of trade” hanging on the wall is full of index cards where visitors write what they want — Spanish lessons, for example — and what they have to trade, such as a spare bedroom.

Visitors also can swap used books and CDs on the community bookshelf.

As owners, they keep trying to improve, Theresa said, and hope to operate the café through retirement.

“It's broadened my horizons in meeting people,” Theresa said. “It's a learning experience, and I'm finding the community is extremely supportive.”

To contact Staff Writer Michelle Rindels, e-mail mrindels@theunion.com or call (530) 477-4247.