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Two cousins are in the final stages of completely revamping a former lumber yard in Smithtown into their modern, industrial farmhouse café offering ice cream, coffee, and matcha.
Rosemarie Uzun and Cinderella Uy are combining three food concepts into one space: Matcha Tea in Heaven, Blue Bean Café, and Bubble Waffle Ice Cream.
The three-in-one food establishment at 52 North Country Road is getting ready to launch and the women are aiming for a grand opening on June 13.
“We really tried to make this place Instagrammable,” Uzun said.
The décor makes every inch of the space photo-worthy, the women said.
A preserved, real moss “I love you so much” sign, vibrant light fixtures, white marble countertops, an elaborate bathroom, and around 100 fake handmade ice cream decorations are just some of the interior design choices.
When walking into the building, the first half of the space will be the Blue Bean Café and Matcha Tea in Heaven, which will serve house-made coffee and other drinks.
Uzun said the coffee is one of the first on Long Island that roasts without emissions. This is through a commercial coffee roaster called The Bellwether — the owner said the only other Long Island town that has one in Sag Harbor.
Matcha Tea in Heaven will serve USDA-certified, organic matcha imported from the birthplace of the green tea powder — Uji in Kyoto, Japan.
The shop will sell its own homemade flavored matcha and organic bubble teas.
“We want to educate people about matcha because most people don’t know what matcha is,” Uy said.
Uzun and Uy are also working with a chef and sourcing from various places to create a light, Asian-Mediterrean takeout menu that will accommodate all palettes.
The two business partners want to become an option for working people in the area and those commuting through Smithtown.
The food options include a cheese roll pastry sourced from California, french éclairs from a pastry chef, baklava, house-special shumai dumplings made by Uy herself, Portuguese rice cakes, homemade banana pudding, classic American breakfast items, and plenty more.
Croissants and other baked goods are procured from popular New York City bakeries like Balthazar and Ceci Cela.
The cousins are also recruiting Smithtown teen Millie Messina, who was a 2020 semi-finalist of The Greatest Baker competition and is currently competing this year.
“We don’t want to be like a high-end café, we like to welcome everyone,” Uzun said. “The things you get at a deli, like a bagel with cream cheese, please come in — I want people to feel comfortable and not be intimidated by the place.”
The third component of the business is the bubble waffle ice cream shop, which Uzun and Uy decided to open because of the lack of this type of dessert in Smithtown.
The bubble waffle originated in Asia and is made out of egglets. The cone itself is made out of an egg batter, placed into a bubble waffle maker, and voila; you have a bubble waffle cone that’s crunchy on the outside and airy on the inside.
Uzun emphasizes that every detail has been carefully thought out, and the two women are excited to unveil the final product to the Smithtown community.
“This is fun for us and I have an amazing partner,” Uzun said. “We are so blessed to have each other, it made the whole process very easy and we compliment each other — this is a family business, two full-time moms juggling between home and the business, and we want people to think about that.”
For the full story on Uzun and Uy’s concept, check out our previous coverage below.
Scroll down for a glimpse at Bubble Waffle Ice Cream, Matcha Tea in Heaven, and Blue Bean Café, all ready to serve in Smithtown this summer.
Previous coverage:
Top: Coming soon signs for Matcha Tea in Heaven and Blue Bean Café outside of the business.
