Bachelor In Paradise fan favorites, Ashley Iaconetti and Jared Haibon, celebrated the grand opening of their new café, Audrey's Coffee House and Lounge, in South Kingstown, Rhode Island on Saturday, Dec. 4. Ashley and Jared met in 2015 when they were both contestants on season 2 of the show, and it was love at first sight for Ashley. She felt that they were destined to be together. Jared, however, saw Ashley only as a friend, and they did not leave Mexico as a couple, but they remained friends. In 2016, they went on some dates, but when they returned for season 3, Jared pursued a relationship with Caila Quinn, which broke Ashley's heart. After the show ended, Ashley and Jared stayed friends and documented their relationship on social media.
In early 2018, Ashley began dating Kevin Wendt after meeting him on Bachelor Winter Games, while Jared filmed Bachelor In Paradise: Australia. After they both finished with their seasons, they took a trip to St. Lucia with Jade Roper and Tanner Tolbert, during which Jared finally admitted his feelings for Ashley. He kissed her in the airport, and the rest is history. Fans were shocked and thrilled when they released a video titled "The Story of Us" in May 2018, announcing their relationship and proving that Ashley's insistence that they were meant to be a couple was true. In June 2018, Jared proposed to Ashley on the beach in Mexico where they met. The engagement aired during season 5 of Bachelor In Paradise. In August 2019, they got married, and Ashley is now pregnant with their first child, a baby boy due in February 2022.
Now another lifelong dream is coming true for Jared, as he and Ashley celebrated the grand opening of their new café, Audrey's Coffee House and Lounge, in South Kingstown, Rhode Island. Jared named the coffee shop after Ashley's mom because he thought her name represented the cozy feeling he wanted to create in the restaurant. According to The Boston Globe, the café is "billed as a coffee house by day, wine bar by night." Fans from all over Jared’s home state of Rhode Island came to the opening to support him and Ashley. During the event, the restaurant was filled with Christmas decorations such as a tree and poinsettia plants. There are also two fireplaces that create a warm and cozy atmosphere. Customers who attended the opening were served gourmet, sustainably sourced coffee, along with fruits, nuts, olives, crackers, and other foods served on custom-made charcuterie boards. Ashley and Jared were hands-on throughout the event, with Ashley preparing the charcuterie boards and Jared preparing the food and drinks, while also taking the customers' orders. Ashley revealed that they are now "looking forward to things settling down and being more streamlined. We’re a bit overwhelmed, but so happy with the feedback we’ve gotten from everyone. I give Jared a lot of credit. He’s worked so hard making this happen and he has hired some great people – mostly college students." Those students attend the nearby University of Rhode Island.
Ashley shared more details about the opening on her Instagram story, including a video of herself and Jared cutting the ribbon at the grand opening, along with their beloved dog, Lois Lane, with the caption, "It's official." When designing the café and its logo, the couple gave a wink to their Bachelor Nation origins, by substituting the apostrophe in "Audrey's" with an emblem of a rose. Ashley shared pictures of other references to the show throughout the restaurant, including wall art that features roses and coffee mugs and a wooden sign above a fireplace that reads, "Monday nights we drink wine and watch The Bachelor. Tuesday mornings we drink coffee and recap." A photograph of Ashley and Jared about to kiss in front of the café captured their happiness that their hard work finally made their dream come true.
Ashley and Jared have shared a long journey together as a couple, and fans have enjoyed watching them achieve life milestones together. Their relationship had a bit of a rocky start, but they are now one of the most solid couples to emerge from the Bachelor franchise. They met on Bachelor In Paradise, and have taken their relationship to new heights in the real world as well. As Ashley and Jared await the birth of their baby in a few months, they can sit back and relax at Audrey's, knowing they can achieve anything as long as they have each other.
Source: The Boston Globe, Ashley Iaconetti/Instagram