New Coffee Shop Creating A Buzz In Wallingford

WALLINGFORD, CT — While the COVID-19 pandemic can be blamed for the closing of numerous businesses, the inspiration for a new coffee shop creating a buzz in downtown Wallingford came about during the lockdowns.

Green Kettle Coffee opened at 208 Center St. in December, and owner Kristen Gilbride said the idea for the coffee shop began percolating after she bought herself an espresso machine.

“I've always been obsessed with coffee,” Gilbride said. “Some of my best memories have taken place at coffee shops, I can't even start to add up how many hours I've spent sipping coffee and talking with my mom and sister at coffee shops throughout my life. When we went into COVID lockdowns, I bought my own espresso machine and started making drinks and trying out different coffee blends.

“I was having a blast learning about coffee and testing out beverages, I started to seriously think about opening my own shop. I read several books about opening a coffee shop, and wrote a business plan. Through that, I was able to organize my thoughts and figure out what opening a coffee shop would entail.”

After searching for several months for a location that fit within her budget, and had what she was looking for, Gilbride said she “really fell in love” with the space at 208 Center St. when she first saw it.

“It has great windows, high ceilings, parking in the back, and is right in the downtown,” she said.

As a sign of the times, Gilbride said she dealt with supply chain issues during the build out of the space.

“But since opening, we've been seeing a steady growth of customers, which is all I could really ask for,” she said. “We're so new, and we luckily haven't experienced anything that we haven't been able to recover from.”

Green Kettle Coffee features specialty coffees and teas. Some fan favorites from the winter menu include Sweater Weather Latte and Autumn Chai, and Gilbride said the spring/summer menu will be announced soon.

The shop is also offering a special on Valentine’s Day when if you buy two beverages from the Valentine’s Day menu, you get 50 percent off two pastries, which come from Keri’s Sweet Creations in Wallingford, according to Gilbride.

Gilbride said Green Kettle Coffee is committed to being as local as possible.

“Through every decision we make, we try to see if there's a local business we can partner with,” she said. “During our Valentine's Day special, we ordered the roses in our centerpieces from Dottie's Daughters, a new florist right here in downtown Wallingford. Our coffee beans are also locally roasted, we use Victus Coffee which is roasted in West Hartford. So, from our beans to our pastries (Keri's Sweet Creations), to our interior designers, to our paper products supplier, we're really grateful for all the relationships we've formed with local businesses.”

Gilbride said the community support they’ve received since opening Dec. 1 has meant the world to her and the staff of seven baristas.

“This is the first business I've opened,” she said. “I wanted to open a coffee shop because I love coffee. I wanted to have a place where people could come in and enjoy specialty drinks, and I'm happy to say that's a reality now.”

For more information, visit Green Kettle Coffee on Facebook here.