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Rick Weber wasn’t about to wait until he struck Lotto to start living his dreams.
So last May, he decided it was time to make a change.
After more than a decade teaching economics at Farmingdale State College, he swapped textbooks for coffee beans — and rolled his dream onto Montauk Highway.
The 38-year-old Patchogue native debuted Great South Bay Coffee on Aug. 28.
It’s a mobile coffee trailer now parked outside Bayport Flower Houses.
“My first customer was actually one of my former students,” he told Greater Long Island. “It happened by chance. How great is that?”
From classroom to coffee trailer
Weber said the decision to walk away from his tenured role last spring came down to happiness.
“I was burnt out, tired of trying to teach people who weren’t engaged,” he said. “I was done with the paperwork, the assignments, and the office politics.”
He stepped down to become an adjunct professor — and finally bet on a passion he had been quietly building for years.
That passion began in graduate school in Lubbock, Texas, when he couldn’t find a decent cup of coffee.
“I bought my own roaster. Fresh roasted coffee makes such a difference,” Weber said.
Brewing his future
In 2023, during a West Coast trip with his wife, Weber enrolled in a professional roasting course. The idea of going all-in started percolating.
He purchased a trailer and spent months bringing it up to standard before officially launching this summer. Every cup is brewed by hand, with syrups made from scratch.
“The first week, I realized I jumped off the high board,” Weber said. “I definitely had some jitters. But by the second week, I knew I made the right decision — because coffee is magical.”
Staying local
While his trailer is mobile, Weber plans to stay put in Bayport for now.
“Word of mouth has been great. People tell me they love it,” he said. “I’m happy people like me now — instead of being pissed off at me for giving homework and tests.”
Top: Rick Weber outside his Great South Bay Coffee trailer in Bayport. (courtesy)
