Merrick Library opens full-service coffee bar with a local flavor

The Merrick Library has a new addition, and you won’t find it on a bookshelf.

It’s a coffee bar.

This month the library replaced its vending machines with a full-service coffee bar, giving patrons a new place to grab a cappuccino, espresso or light snack.

For Library Director Dan Chuzmir, the change made sense.

“It seemed to me like it was an underutilized area,” Chuzmir told Greater Long Island. “It just seemed like it had a lot of potential to be something more than just a place to get bottled drinks.”

The idea was centered around convenience while giving people another reason to stick around.

“We wanted to provide a better experience for people who were coming to spend time here, whether it was to work, use our programs or just read,” Chuzmir said.

The menu rivals that of a neighborhood coffee shop.

Signature drinks include a crème brûlée latte, white mocha raspberry cream cold brew and brown sugar honey cortado.

The library also wanted to keep the operation connected to the community. Its coffee comes from Flux Coffee in Farmingdale, while its tea comes from SerendipiTea in Manhasset.

“Keeping it local and supporting local businesses on the Island was very important to us,” Chuzmir said.

Behind the counter is Gina Noto (picture, above), who has quickly settled into her new role as the library’s only barista.

Noto spent eight years working at Massapequa Perk. While she loved the job, she said she eventually realized she needed something more “sustainable.”

Then she came across an Indeed posting for a civil service barista.

“I said, ‘Wow, this seems too good to be true,’” Noto said with a smile.

And as the only library employee who knows how to make cookie butter cold foam, Noto has plenty of freedom to make the coffee bar her own.

She said cold brews, iced lattes and anything with matcha have been the most popular drinks so far. She has also added refreshers, lemonades and hot chocolate for younger customers.

“I’m the only barista here, so I get the experience of acting like an owner, the decision maker, without all the responsibilities that come with owning a shop,” she said. “I feel so lucky. I pinch myself to make sure it’s still real.”

But what Noto likes most is that she isn’t simply making drinks. She gets to know the people ordering them.

“I always say coffee builds community,” she said. “And when you are in one of those chain shops, you don’t get to spend time to get to know your customers. Here, I get the opportunity to get to know everyone.”

And customers have noticed.

Since the coffee bar opened, Noto said people have repeatedly stopped to tell her how much they enjoy the coffee.

“On a personal level, the feedback for me has been really heartwarming,” she said. “Some people have told me it’s the best coffee they ever had. The love is fueling me.”

The Merrick Library coffee bar, at 2279 Merrick Ave., is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday. It is closed on weekends.