BY MICHELE MILLER
It’s a sign of normalcy and a source of comfort to catch Bob Kushner in his familiar spot at the East Main Street Coffee and Sandwich Shop.
An outdoor table is where Bob typically starts his day playing online chess and nursing a cup of Americana coffee made just the way he likes it.
PHOTO|MIICHELE MILLER
I first met and interviewed Bob in the spring while writing a local business story for the Tampa Bay Times about the East Main Street Coffee and Sandwich Shop, a local haunt that offers up some small-town feel with that specialty brew.
Brett Griest has been making a go of it selling specialty coffee and drinks, homemade pastries and sandwiches, and bags of his roasted coffee beans in what was a near-empty strip mall on the outskirts of downtown.
Photo courtesy East Main Street Coffee
It’s been a very rough go for local businesses, some that are not here anymore. So there’s relief in reporting that Brett is still at it. Bob is still ordering his Americana. And customers like Robin Kenna are still stopping in for a Cuban pull and to catch a sense of how it used to be.
And with the pandemic, there’s a new outdoor dining area with tables and planters to accommodate those wary of dining in.
“I just love the vibe here,” said Robin Kenna, while awaiting her order at one of six tables in the dine-in area. “It’s my favorite place.”
For a lot of people it still is.
Photo courtesy East Main Street Coffee
Business, Brett said, “has stayed about the same, if not improved.”
“We were fortunate compared to a lot of small businesses,” he said while wiping down the kitchen grill before closing up for the day. “The majority of my business was take-out and delivery before the pandemic.”
On the other hand, expenses rose with the cost of food products, some that he had to forage for at local grocers because they were in short supply. Fees for delivery services also cut into the bottom line, Brett said.
“That’s like having an extra employee.”
While business is holding steady, it would be nice to see more of the customers that used to hang out there before the pandemic.
“I don’t see everyone as frequently to sit down and eat,” he said. “You don’t see seven people come together like you used to.”
“People know there is limited space,” said Brett, adding that he thinks the outdoor seating are will catch on. “When it cools off I think that will be popular.”
It’s October. We’re getting there.
Stop on by.
If you go:
East Main Street Coffee and Sandwich Shop is at 6526 Main St. in New Port Richey. Call (727) 232-2311 or go to www.emscs.net or Facebook
Related:
New Port Richey coffee shop thrives in unlikely spot. Michele Miller, Tampa Bay Times
