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Caffeine-craving commuters and midday sippers who enjoy “that sitting down and reading a book on the couch, drinking a cup of coffee kind of feel” as Scott Broomfield puts it, can soon visit Anchor Coffee in Amityville.
Broomfield, alongside partner Rich Griffin, are opening their first coffee shop at 215 Broadway Avenue in the village, the site of the former Gerald’s Market.
He said they hope to have the shop ready for a soft opening Oct 1, with a proper grand opening later in the month.
Although neither of the two men have coffee shop experience, they both worked in the food service industry in their youth, Broomfield at a Friendly’s and Griffin at a deli.
Broomfield added the duo also has plenty of hectic kitchen experience as stay-at-home dads after retirement, Broomfield himself from pharmaceuticals and Griffin from the NYPD.
“We’re both kind of busy-bodies and we have young kids who are a little bit older now and need us less,” said Broomfield, 56, of Massapequa Park. “We both love the atmosphere of being in coffee shops and we just like the community feel we get out of Amityville.”
Anchor Coffee is still looking for sociable people to work as full-time and part-time baristas. Broomfield said hiring has been a challenge, but added that he has about three-quarters of his desired labor force and is continuing to interview.
Although they will be in the shop, Broomfield said he and Griffin will spend more time getting acquainted with the community than brewing. “We want to be the people that meet the customers coming in and make people feel welcome and steer the labor in the right direction and teach them.”
The interior at Anchor will consist of a counter with bar stool seating, with a picnic table outside.
The owners are also exploring the possibility of added seating in the rear parking lot, under a tent or canopy.
The shop will also feature a community library, inviting guests to enjoy a good book with their drinks.
“Our kids are donating some of their books. Our wives are readers, they’re donating books,” Broomfield said. “For anybody who wants to come in, sit down, have a cup of coffee and read a couple of chapters, have at it. If they want to take the book, take the book. If the want to return it they can, they don’t have to. If they want to donate a book they can. It’s a very a casual atmosphere.”
“This is our launch; we have confidence in this store,” Broomfield added. “We have confidence that if we give it six months we can develop a returning customer base. And then after that, we make sure all the bills are paid and we’d like to branch out to other locations.”
