By Ella McGalliard
The diversity of New Haven’s coffee scene is what makes the growing culture so fascinating. With all the shops beating to the sound of their own drum, and yet all in rhythm together is something that makes the coffee scene so magnetic. In cafés like Atticus Bookstore café, Pistachio Café and G Café Bakery; a variety of cultures are represented and mirrored within the shops all over the city.
The city’s renowned pizza culture, highlighted by establishments like Frank Pepe’s and Sally’s Apizza, complements the coffee scene. Visitors drawn to New Haven for its culinary reputation often explore its coffee offerings, creating a holistic gastronomic experience.
Overshadowed by the celebrity shoutouts of the night life and pizza joints, New Haven has a coffee culture that has been limited, and yet longstanding. One of the first and still standing shops, Atticus Bookstore Café is located on Chapel Street, and is a Yale University student favorite.
One of Atticus’ regular customer’s Aniysha Woniburg said that when she was a student at Yale, it was her favorite place to go. With the atmosphere and vibes of the shop, it was almost, “magnetic.”
Woniburg went on to state that the atmosphere of Atticus is what draws her in. She describes the store as a warm place that breathes intellectuality with warm and natural lighting through the large front windows that look out onto the bustling streets of New Haven. Atticus is her favorite place to purchase books because even when she takes the books home, the fragrance of the shop still lingers through the pages.
“I could sit there for hours on end… The place has a feel about it that just draws people in.” Woniburg said. “I have graduated now, but I still come here nearly every day to do work, pull a book off the shelf to read or to just relax and drink a good cup of coffee.”
Atticus Bookstore was started in 1975 as just a bookstore but became a café in 1981 when Charles Negaro was dead set on having a café such as the ones he saw when he visited Europe. The shop has thrived and has now become one of the most popular coffee houses in the New Haven area, considering its location lies in the midst of New Haven’s most popular downtown areas.
Before Atticus Bookstore and Café, the first coffee shop in New Haven opened its doors in 1950. Yankee Doodle Coffee Shop was the most affordable, and best hangout place for many Yale students throughout the years. Located on Elm Street, the “Doodle” was closed in 2008 due to economic difficulties and declining business, as well as the growing cost in rent that he paid for property on Elm Street.
Today, New Haven’s coffee landscape is a vibrant tapestry of traditional cafes, innovative newcomers, and culturally infused establishments. With dozens of coffee houses all around, New Haven has had a major growth in not only the coffee scene, but also the diversity in it.
But why New Haven?
At first glance, the city does not seem like a likely place to have such a coffee culture. New Haven is renowned for its rich culinary heritage, particularly its iconic pizza and vibrant nightlife with many celebrity sightings in the downtown areas such as Conan O’Brien making an appearance in Sally’s Apizza and Modern Apizza in December of 2023. Sally’s also welcomed Hillary Clinton that same year. Many of the famous pizza places in New Haven have been acknowledged by celebrities and have won multitudes of awards. However, in recent years, the city’s coffee scene has flourished with its cultural fabric and appeal to a diverse community that consists of millions of residents, students, and visitors that come through every year.
Willoughby’s Coffee and Tea has been a storied part of New Haven Coffee culture with opening its doors on Chapel Street. The store has four different locations, two of which are in New Haven on Church Street and York Street.
Senior Manager of Willoughby’s, Kristine Bechard, said that Willoughby’s was founded by two good friends, Bob Williams and Barry Levine in 1985. They came up with the idea of having an in-store coffee roaster and selected the choice of beans from around the world.
According to Bechard, “they [founders] worked directly with farmers, building personal connections and supporting the principles of direct trade and fair trade…long before these were buzz words of the industry.”
“We were the first in-store small batch roaster not only in New Haven, but within the state making us a Connecticut original.”
Bechard stated that the history of the company, as well as their knowledge and experience as coffee roasters is what makes the company so unique. Their commitment to being a good community pattern wherever they serve is what makes them so special to the New Haven area, but nothing compares to the difference that hard work has made for the company.
“People are what makes the business thrive. We have fantastic coffee, but it’s due to the hard work of many people to get from bean to cup…Honoring that journey while remembering to be attentive, to be kind, and to listen to both customers and crew with equal measures is key.”
Yale University sophomore, John Ballen stated that he has gone to Willoughby’s since starting college. Willoughby’s is the closest thing to home that he has found and just enjoys going to have a cup of coffee before class.
“I do love it here. The coffee is some of the best that I have ever had, and the people are awesome. The workers are always busy, and yet, they will take the time to check on me and see how I am doing and if I need anything… and sometimes, they even start a casual conversation.”
Pistachio Café is a newer and yet flourishing shop in New Haven that opened its doors on Chapel Street. Founded in 2020 by Mohamad Hafez, the shop brings a very Middle Eastern vibe to the coffee scene in the area to reflect the Syrian heritage of Hafez. The artist and architect wants the people of New Haven to experience the culture that he grew up around right down the street from their homes or dorms. He stated in the video on his website that he asked himself a simple question when planning his business, “how can I give someone the experience of hosting them in my domicile, my salon without taking them back to Syria?”
Hafez started the shop to combat the anti-Arab and anti-Muslim attitudes in today’s society. Hafez is often seen mingling with customers to hear and share stories to create friendships with them. He views mingling with customers as a way to establish a middle ground with people. By way of food, drinks, deserts and architecture; Hafez stated that he sees no better way to establish a connection with the people who come into his shop.
G Café and bakery was founded over a decade ago by Andrea Corazzini and Kiara Matos. Barista and supervisor, Leilanie Arce said that the shop originally specialized in the bread that they served. When Corazzini first opened shop in Branford, he wanted the genuine European feel to the shop. He hoped that people from that side of the world feel like they were home when stepping foot in the shop and tasting the food.
Arce is a barista at the location on Orange Street in New Haven. She stated that the best part of her job is the babies and dogs that she gets to see every day.
“I have so many moms that came in when they were pregnant, and now I see their little toddlers coming in here. I got to watch them grow up, and I just think that’s awesome…I also love to see the different dogs come in, I’m like an auntie to everyone.”
Arce stated that she is a people person and that is what makes her job so fun because she knows her customers by name and hears about what is going on in their lives on a day-to-day basis. She takes pride in her shop and wants everyone to feel right at home when they step into the café.
Yale University’s presence infuses the city with a dynamic and intellectually curious population. Thousands of students, professors, and visitors of the school seek out spaces that offer both quality coffee and conducive environments for study and discussion. While ideas are shared over coffee, the aroma of intelligence is almost as strong as the coffee beans.
New Haven’s coffee shops seamlessly intertwine with its vibrant nightlife and culinary scenes. Establishments like Café Nine serve dual roles, operating as coffee shops by day and live music venues by night, bridging the gap between daytime relaxation and evening entertainment. This makes the proximity of cafes to iconic pizzerias and nightlife spots encourage students, residents and visitors to transition from dining to socializing, with coffee shops often serving as pre- or post-event gathering places, as well as a good place to study and relax over a cup of coffee.