Some Ann Arbor business owners end up relocating to outlying towns in search of a more affordable space. Former Divine Java owner Marina Teodorovic did it the other way around. She closed her high-rent Chelsea coffeehouse when her five-year lease was up and looked to Ann Arbor for something less pricey. In November, she opened Café Uno in the former Espresso Royale space in Belle Arbor Commons, a small strip mall on Carpenter just north of Packard.

Relocation comes naturally to the Belgrade-born Teodorovic, fifty-two. She immigrated to the U.S. twenty-three years ago to join her extended Serbian family, who’d been coming over in stages for years. Those family members and friends will be helping out at Café Uno when they can, but for the most part, Teodorovic will man the east side coffeehouse by herself as she tries to build a customer base.

Because the storefront was previously an Espresso Royale, she couldn’t replicate Divine Java without essentially gutting the space. While the local chain is known for its cafes’ sleek, urban feel, Divine Java, says Teodorovic, “was like grandma’s kitchen or Country Living style.” She kept Espresso Royale’s basic look but added a few deft touches of her own. Inspired by some travel posters she found at IKEA, she went with an international theme, adding four wall clocks showing the current time in London, Paris, Amsterdam, and New York, and a huge world map where she encourages customers to mark their place of origin with a pin. Teodorovic got the ball rolling by planting the first pin in Belgrade. A friend stuck in the second, in Amman, Jordan. A third friend pinned the Ivory Coast, and the idea started gathering steam.

Teodorovic gets her coffee from a Brooklyn, Michigan, company called Avalon Bay. They roast the beans, and she grinds them fresh each day. She offers the usual suspects: lattes, espressos, and cappuccinos, as well as a regular coffee in different varieties and flavorings–“I can make any specialty coffee you want,” she says. She also carries a selection of teas, including black, green, herbal, and chai.

Most coffeehouses get their baked goods from outside vendors, but Teodorovic, an accomplished cook, makes most of hers from scratch, including muffins, scones, and cinnamon twists (the cakes and bagels she buys). She also offers soups and sandwiches for lunch, including vegan options. “My panini sandwiches are becoming very popular. I’m going through panini bread very fast,” she laughs.

Teodorovic inherited the Divine Java name and concept from an earlier owner, but (residual echoes of Espresso Royale aside) Café Uno is entirely her own creation. “I wanted something neutral,” she says. “Divine Java was more … feminine, with flowers. This time I wanted everybody to feel comfortable.”

Café Uno, 2871 Carpenter Road, 677-4210. Mon.-Fri. 7 a.m.-5 p.m., Sat. 8 a.m.-4 p.m.