Yellow House Coffee & Tea Room Celebrates 20 Years in Business

The Yellow House Coffee & Tea Room, an iconic eatery in the heart of Stonington Borough, is celebrating 20 years in business with an open house from 5-8 p.m., Friday, July 1, at its 149 Water St. location.

The Yellow House was opened in 1996 by Mary Ellen McCarthy, who built it into the village’s go-to place for coffee, tea, bagels and all the local news. It was then owned by former First Selectman Donald Maranell. In 2010, Shanna Geary purchased the business.

“We have been through alot in the village, surviving Hurricane Irene, Superstorm Sandy, many blizzards and tropical storms, and our customers have been with us every step of the way,” said Geary. “It really is like a family in the Borough, and we wanted to do something this year to say thank you to everyone who makes Yellow House a part of their life.”

The reception on July 1 will continue a longtime tradition at Yellow House of featuring local artists, with the latest artwork by Stonington artist Kate Careb, who is Geary’s sister-in-law. Kate and her husband Dan were instrumental in a recent ‘makeover’ the Yellow House undertook. To celebrate the 20th anniversary, the interior received a fresh coat of paint, new coffee bean countertops, a self-serve coffee station, new pastry/bagel cases, new table tops that feature inspirational sayings, and a new menu that includes gluten-free options for both breakfast and lunch.

The menu also highlights all the local landmarks in the Borough, with sandwiches named for the Palmer House, Como, Cannon Square, Viaduct, and Merrill House among others.

Yellow House continues to offer Rhode Island’s Dave’s Coffee, and has its bagels delivered fresh daily and its bread delivered from New York City.

The Yellow House Coffee & Tea Room is open Monday-Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.