After 15 years in Seattle, she’s opening Kraken Coffee in St. James

Elaine Secilmis spent 15 years in Seattle, starting a family and developing an appreciation for the city’s coffee culture.

When she returned to Long Island, she missed having that familiar neighborhood stop.

“Coffee gets embedded in your day-to-day,” she said. “We just never found that same spark here.”

Now the Seaford native is working to create one in St. James.

Secilmis plans to open Kraken Coffee at 213 Lake Ave., Store 5E, in early 2027, bringing a little of the Pacific Northwest to her new neighborhood.

A registered dietitian who now lives in Smithtown, Secilmis began exploring the coffee business around 2020, experimenting with coffee and eventually becoming a barista. Opening a café had long been a goal, and learning the craft helped move it closer to reality.

After returning to Long Island to be near family, she spent about three years searching for the right space before finding the Lake Avenue storefront.

Starting with the coffee

At Kraken, Secilmis wants the coffee itself to lead.

The menu will be intentionally simple, giving customers a chance to appreciate the flavor and natural sweetness of a well-made espresso before adding anything to it. The café will make its own syrups and use organic ingredients when possible.

Beans will come from Brooklyn-based Parlor Coffee, which Secilmis chose in part for its relationships with coffee farmers. One of the main offerings comes from a Colombian farm with a longstanding connection to the roaster, she said.

She hopes Kraken’s baristas will share those origins with customers, offering a little of the story behind each cup.

Her nutrition background will also help shape the food menu, with options intended to accommodate different health goals and appetites.

“You can be healthy or choose to eat something delicious, or have both,” she said.

Food will arrive in phases, starting with lighter options and pastries, potentially sourced from Long Island bakeries. Grab-and-go lunch items could follow as the café grows.

A little Seattle in St. James

The Kraken name is a nod to Seattle and the years Secilmis and her family spent there. She envisions the café as a love letter to that chapter of their lives, and a gathering place in the community they now call home.

The cozy space will have a few high-top tables, shared seating and window spots where customers can settle in and work. Ocean and Pacific Northwest influences will shape the design, with a warm, light atmosphere.

Ahead of the opening, Secilmis has been introducing Kraken through pop-ups, including events in Huntington and at local schools.

Ultimately, she hopes the café will become part of her customers’ daily routines.

“Your second home is coming in 2027,” she said. “I want to make your day, and I want to do that through coffee.”

---

Top: Elaine Secilmis plans to open Kraken Coffee at 213 Lake Ave., Store 5E, in St. James in early 2027. (Photo courtesy of Elaine Secilmis)