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Oceanside’s Mariia Rahmani wasn’t looking to get into the coffee business. She was just looking for a place to have coffee.
After moving her insurance company from Brooklyn to Garden City to be closer to her two young children, Rahmani said she struggled to find the kind of spot where she could sit down with a client, enjoy a good drink and pastry, and actually have a conversation.
So she did what any good entrepreneur would do.
She solved the problem by opening one herself.
A year later, Tête-à-Tête Cafeteria, located at 239 Sunrise Highway in Rockville Centre, welcomed its first customers last weekend.
“Tête-à-tête” is a French phrase referring to a private conversation between two people — fitting for a café born out of Rahmani’s search for exactly that kind of setting.
“There was no good place where I could talk to someone in the setting I was looking for,” Rahmani told Greater Long Island. “Now, there is one.”
The menu centers on coffee and specialty drinks inspired by flavors from around the world.
The Raf, popular in Ukraine, combines espresso with heavy cream, cinnamon, nutmeg and sugar, with the ingredients steamed together.
The Mont Blanc, which Rahmani said is popular in parts of Australia, features cold brew with a touch of vanilla, topped with Tête-à-Tête’s signature foam and orange zest.
The café also offers a selection of food, including bagel and croissant sandwiches, avocado toast and gluten-free cheesecake.
Rahmani had no previous experience in the food industry, but she spent considerable time learning the business before opening her doors.
“I had to do a lot of research first,” she said. “I went to Costa Rica to learn all about coffee. I visited 30 different pastry shops around the country to find the exact taste I was looking for.”
Her own travels also helped shape the café.
Rahmani has visited more than 40 countries throughout her life, experiences she said played a major role in deciding what Tête-à-Tête would ultimately become.
“I’ve used bits and pieces from all of them to make this place unique,” she said.
Rahmani said her willingness to learn gave her the confidence to enter an industry she had never worked in before.
“I’m a quick learner,” she said. “I came to this country from Ukraine by myself when I was 18 and I stayed. So I figured if I could survive that, I could survive figuring out the business.”
“I’m so passionate about this and I want people to love everything here as much as I do,” she added.
Tête-à-Tête is open Monday through Wednesday from 5:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursday and Friday from 5:30 a.m. to midnight; Saturday from 7 a.m. to midnight; and Sunday from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.
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