Great news for fans of North Fork Roasting Co. — the popular business on Main Road in Southold will be open late on the weekends, offering a cozy gathering place to meet with friends and enjoy the fire.
Beginning with a preview kickoff on Wednesday, when the business will be open until 9 p.m., featuring an art show, the NoFo RoCo Late night series will continue each Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, when the business will remain until 9 p.m.
Owner Jennilee Morris said a lot of fun surprises are in store. “We’re going to mix it up,” she said, adding that along with art shows, trivia nights and other weekly events will be planned.
“We haven’t planned it all out yet, but we want to do fun things, something for people to do at night.”
Along with the coffees, teas and tempting baked good that have made the shop a go-to in town, Morris said an expanded menu of snacks will be available, including homemade soups, grab-and-go sandwiches, and cheese platters.
“The only thing we’re missing is beer and wine,” Morris said, adding that she and her co-owner Jess Dunne will be considering the idea. First, they’d need to ask permission from their landlord and then the town before libations could be added.
Morris said she’s excited to open the doors to the public on weekend evenings. “It’s a very cool space at night,” she said. “With the fire going, it’s a cozy place for people to relax after work.”
Since the business opened in February, young and old alike have been lining up for artisanal coffee selections, baked treats, and hot chocolate, complete with handmade marshmallows.
Owners Dunne and Morris say the shop, nestled in a cozy building featuring antiques and a dramatic renovation, is a dream realized.
Morris, who once owned Bonnie Jean’s and was formerly general manager at Love Lane Kitchen in Mattituck, created Long Island Coffee Roasters with a partner.
“She’s been into coffee for eight years,” Dunne said, creating small batches in her garage with a roaster and roasting for various area businesses.
Eventully, Morris, 30, and her partner took different paths and North Fork Roasting Co. was born.
“We are small-batch artisanal coffee roasters,” she said.
The North Fork landscape, replete with vineyards, microbreweries and the farm-to-table focus, was the perfect place to launch their business, Dunne, said; she had her own baking business, Ginger Goods, in the area.
After meeting at Bonnie Jean’s, “I fell in love with coffee,” Dunne said. She just started roasting herself, as well.
The new space was two years in the making, Dunne said. Morris, when she owned Bonnie Jean’s, had initially rented the building where the North Fork Roasting Co. is located.
“The goal was always to have coffee, and this space is perfect for it,” Dunne said, adding that extensive renovations took place.
“It was hard for people to see the potential here at first,” Dunne said. “There was so much work to be done.” Together, the two ripped up rugs and stained the floor themselves. They painted all the walls and discovered all the furniture, moving each piece in personally.
“Every piece in here has a lot of value because we did it all ourselves,” Dunne said. Her father, Dan Dunne, a well-known local carpenter for decades, helped install the coffee bar.
The space brims with a sense of history; pieces were picked from tag sales and dusty basements rich with memories. A refrigerator was painted with green chalk paint, a bench was covered by hand by Dunne, and an old typewriter was found in the building.
The space itself has revealed facets of North Fork history, Dunne said. “We found a piece of wood in the basement from the 1930s that said ‘Goldsmith,’ a contractor in Southold in the 40s,” she said.
History is important, said Dunne, who has lived in Southold her whole life and went to Southold High School. “I have an old yearbook from 1945 out on a table here and I want people to look through it and say, ‘That’s my great-grandpa.’”
A signature touch is reflected in the mismatched English teacups and saucers used to serve tea and baked goods. Dunne said they came from Morris’ aunt, who had a huge collection of mismatched china. “I used to work at the Greenport Tea Company and that was my favorite thing. I was huge on that, and said if we’re serving tea, no one would have a matching saucer and teacup.”
Morris, who grew up in Yaphank, moved to the North Fork eight years ago.
“We’re really want this to be a place people can feel at home. We want them to come in, hang out and enjoy a good product — and maybe, we can give them a little knowledge on great coffee,” Dunne said.
Coffee specialties include Ethiopian sidamo, one of the owners’ favorites, sporting a floral flavor and blueberry essence. “Even if you normally have milk in your coffee, I would highly recommend trying this one black, it’s so great,” Dunne said.
Another choice is from a cooperative in Rwanda. Dunne and Morris go to a broker in New Jersey once a month for coffee tastings.
Sereendipity organic teas are also served, as well as Dunne’s homemade hot chocolate.
To the many who’ve supported her and Morris on their journey, Dunne said, “We just want to say thank you for making our dream come true. We hope we’re everything you guys wanted, and more.”
The North Fork Roasting Company is located at 55795 Main Road in Southold.
Beginning next week, the new hours will begin, with the shop open Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., with late hours until 9 p.m. on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. North Fork Roasting Co. will close at 3 p.m. on Sundays.
For additional information call 631-876-5450.
