When Rich Griffin and Scott Broomfield began hunting for a spot to open a coffee house, they didn’t exactly fit the barista stereotype. Both in their 50s and both retired from their respective careers — the New York Police Department and the pharmaceutical industry — they had become friends via their school-age children when they began planning a business together. “We both have young kids that are getting older and we felt we needed to do something else,” said Griffin. Coffeeshop hours, he continued, “are probably the best fit for us, being family men.”
A former deli in Amityville, a block from the LIRR station, grabbed their interest, as did revitalization in the village and the sense of community.
The business partners renovated the Broadway storefront into a bright space of tiled walls, raw and bleached wood, corrugated steel details and vintage photos of Amityville. They found a local roaster for their house coffee and tasted through a profusion of pastries as they settled on a lineup. “We went through tasting for a couple of days, until we couldn’t taste anymore,” said Griffin.
Anchor Coffee opened in mid-October, with cappuccinos and lattes (including pumpkin spice) made on a borrowed espresso machine as the staff waited out supply-chain issues for the arrival of a Slayer, “the Rolls-Royce of espresso machines,” said Griffin. (One machine can cost upward of $10,000). Anchor Coffee’s brewed coffee, also for sale by the bag, is a blend of Mexican beans roasted by Flux Coffee in Farmingdale, while cold brew is continuously made on a slow-drip system in the dining area and can be served over ice or nitro-infused.
The pastry case begins each morning with a lineup of bagels, muffins (such as cappuccino-chip) and bars in configurations such as coconut, peanut butter and chocolate or Oreo, the latter so popular they sell out quickly. Coffee and pastries start around $3. Nutrition bars, CBD seltzers, potato chips and other soft drinks are also on hand, as are mugs, hats and T-shirts.
Anchor Coffee has a window counter for sipping coffee or eating, and a picnic table outside. It opens at 6 a.m. during the week and 7 a.m. on the weekend.
Anchor Coffee is at 215 Broadway, Amityville; 631-350-1769
