Pardon the article title, but we love a good pun almost as much as we love a good cup of coffee. Han Lee is hoping Wilton will really love the coffee he’s serving at Coffee Story, the new café and restaurant he opened last Monday, Aug. 26.
Topping the menu with bagels, smoothies, fresh pressed fruit and vegetable juices, and self-serve frozen yogurt, Lee will be adding sandwiches, muffins and pastries in the next two weeks. But most important, of course, is the coffee.
“The hardest part was finding the exact right coffee beans. I found one distributor that roasts their own beans. Their espresso won the best espresso of the year this year. That’s what we have,” he said.
Lee said he picked the “story” theme because, “If you go to Barnes and Noble, there’s a coffee place inside. I wanted to have a book place in a coffee shop.”
He’s warmed up the place since taking over the space vacated by Steve’s Bagels, adding coffee-themed art and curtains. He’ll be adding couches and a big bookshelf, which Lee has plans to stock with dozens of books. “People can just grab a book, sit a while and read. I’m also thinking about adding board games, like chess and backgammon. I wanted a bit of a vintage feel, cozy and warm to make people feel at home.”
Free wi-fi also makes it a place people can set up laptops and work, as Deborah List did early in the week. I was bummed when Steve Bagels closed, and I was definitely excited when I came in here today. It’s a nice place, it’s charming. Working at home can sometimes be hard, it’s easy to get distracted there. So I can go work at the library…or now here. It’s a good vibe.”
The choice of this location in Wilton was an easy one for Lee—his parents own the Sun Spa and Nails Salon at the other end of the building. “When the owner of Steve Bagels decided to close he talked to my dad. I was working in finance in New York, and I wanted to start my own business. I have some experience with coffee, working at Starbucks during college.” Opening in Wilton meant relocating from the city back to Connecticut. “I’m still paying rent in New York City, and living with my parents in Ridgefield for the time being—but I am looking for a place in Wilton, which I need to find ASAP. Living with my parents again at 30…” he laughed.
As for Lee’s own story, he’s trying to write a happy ending. “I’m hoping to franchise this, another one next year, and then another one or two more years later.”
Coffee Story is located at 151 Old Ridgefield Road, and is open from 6 a.m. until 7 p.m. every day of the week.