Meet the Excited Owners of Greenport's New Crazy Beans, To Open At Former Coronet

Greenport, NY — For Callie Martino, the owner of Crazy Beans, a new coffee shop and cafe set to open at the site of the recently shuttered Coronet at the corner of Front and Main, Greenport has always held the siren song of sweet summer memories.

The couple, who just closed on the sale of the Coronet from former owners Perry and Melina Angelson, said they are thrilled to launch the new Crazy Beans on the North Fork.

"We're so excited," Callie said. "We weren't actively looking to open a third Crazy Beans" — other locations are thriving in Miller Place and Stony Brook — "but we just adore Greenport."

When she was growing up, Callie's dad kept his sailboat at Brewer Stirling Harbor Marina in Greenport, and the village was a special summer haven for her whole family. "My father passed away five years ago and ever since then, Greenport just has been my place to connect with him."

If she and her husband had a stressful day, they'd head east and spend a weekend at the Harborfront Inn, she said.

Callie said she always thought she'd end up in Greenport during her golden years. But now, she and Tim have moved to Stirling Harbor, right near the marina where she spent so many happy days with her father. "I feel like I'm living out my retirement dream at 28 years old," she said with a laugh.

Her dream of opening an eatery in Greenport was so vivid that on one visit, Callie asked Angelson to tell her if he ever decided to step down and sell the Coronet a few years down the road. "He came to us a week later and said, 'I'm ready,'" she said.

A love story

Crazy Beans has been a labor of love for Callie, who opened her Miller Place location first. She met her husband Tim at the restaurant. "He came in for breakfast, and I found out he owned a restaurant, too, and was the same age as I was." Callie is 28 and Tim, 29. "I said, 'You must be as crazy as I am.' We had our first date and nine months later we opened up Crazy Beans in Stony Brook."

It was a match made in heaven for the couple; he grew up in Port Jefferson and she, in Stony Brook.

"We got engaged five months after our first date," Callie said.

And as if running two businesses and planning a wedding wasn't enough, Callie said, "We got opened up another business, Brew Cheese in Stony Brook Village." The restaurant focuses on craft beer and cheese, she said.

Losing her father suddenly and so young made Callie realize how precious and fleeting life can be and motivated her to reach for the stars and open her businesses. After he died, she realized, "Life is too short. You have to do what you want."

Crazy Beans has been a journey of the heart, she said — and when the opportunity to open a new location in Greenport arose, it was destiny. "How could I say 'no' to my dream come true?"

Of having four businesses before the age of 30, Callie laughed. "We feel like these businesses are our children," she said. "No more!"

Keeping the Coronet's legacy intact

The Martinos say Crazy Beans, which has a retro, 50s diner feel, is a perfect match for the Coronet location.

As for those who worry that the Coronet's legacy will be forgotten, Callie says that's never going to happen.

First off, she said, there are no plans to replace the eatery's beloved sign outside. "Are you crazy?" she asked. "It's iconic."

And, she said, the goal is to preserve as much of the history of the Coronet as they can. Some of the old photos and memorabilia will remain on the walls and what's left will be donated to the library.

"This is a great marriage of spaces and ideas," she said.

The young couple, who loves eating and drinking and sampling all the abundance that the North Fork has to offer, have been touched by the outpouring of welcome and support they've received from the local community.

A menu for everyone

The eclectic Crazy Beans menu, Callie said, has a little bit of everything, from healthy options, to pancakes and sweet French toast, to salads and a wide selection of flavored lattes and drip coffees such as Hawaiian coconut. "When I was asked about my business plan and my target market, I said, 'People that are awesome," she said, adding that her clientele includes little kids, families, college students, twentysomethings, seniors, and everyone "across the board."

Callie, who studied art history and business at New Paltz, has an affinity for the 1950s retro scene and loves pop art and Andy Warhol.

A timeline

The new Crazy Beans is expected to open by sometime in August and will be open year round for breakfast and lunch to start. Down the line, the couple hopes to acquire a liquor license to serve a traditional Sunday brunch with mimosas and Bloody Marys.

The best part of the new location is being a part of the fabric of the community Callie says she's loved for a lifetime. "It's just really the history and nostalgia. You're on the corner of Greenport, such a historic village. When you step in there you feel like you're going back in time."

But Callie hopes to infuse the past with the present and future and present a Crazy Beans location for all to enjoy.

Living by the water on the North Fork, Callie has seen her heart's deepest dream realized. "It's the first time since college I've been within walking distance of the village," she said. "I still get the chills when we make the turn off Sound Avenue."

Patch photo courtesy of Anchor and Lace Photo.