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Only a year after opening the Deer Park location, Gregorys Coffee‘s owner opened his second Long Island location in Melville last month.
The new coffee shop opened its doors at 874 Walt Whitman Rd. on April 23.
After finishing law school and realizing he wanted to be a coffee connoisseur, founder and CEO Gregory Zamfotis, 39, started Gregorys Coffee in 2006 in New York City.
“Right from the start, I realized it was something I was really passionate about and something I loved, and the business started to take off after the first year or so,” he said.
Gregorys Coffee gained its popularity in New York City, but has since grown to New Jersey, Washington D.C., and now Long Island. The Deer Park store can be found at 1932 Deer Park Ave., a former Starbucks location.
Melville is the coffee chain’s 32nd location. The spot is a brand new building right near other retailers, like Club Pilates and Uncle Giuseppe’s.
“We were looking for locations that made sense for us on the island and the town of Melville is fantastic,” Zamfotis said. “It has a really great mix of local community as well as a robust office community and a lot of people coming by the Walt Whitman mall.”
Zamfotis, who grew up in Brooklyn and now lives in Westchester, says the design of the Long Island locations are Gregorys Coffee’s “most up to date and modern cafes ever built” after the brand’s refresh.
He adds that the majority of the chain’s stores receive their freshly baked products from their Long Island City commissary, but the Long Island locations have the most on-site baking.
Gregorys Coffee in Melville also has a wide selection of vegan and gluten-free options, including pastries and breakfast sandwiches.
“We want to give something really special and unique to the communities here on Long Island,” he said.
Zamfotis says they plan to expand across Long Island even more and already have two leases signed.
“I’m really excited,” he said. “It’s been awesome to meet all the locals coming in and checking us out. Everyone’s been really welcoming and hospitable to us, so it’s all been really fun.”
