In Reading, You Can Never Get Enough Coffee

When the Wine Shop in Reading Center closed its doors, I thought the worse. Oh no, here comes another nail salon. Or worse still, another pizza place. Nothing against those businesses but how many is too many? Then the sign went up at 676 Main Street. Wine was being replaced by coffee and Caffe Nero.

Didn't they know the center already had two fancy coffee places? And didn't they know there were already a gazillion places to get coffee on Main Street alone?

But Caffe Nero didn't want my opinion and opened for business June 2. As for competition, store manager Chris DeCloux says bring it on.

"Much like sports we say, 'OK, throw the ball and let's see who hits it out of the park.' We believe in our coffee a lot so we sell coffee."

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There are more than 800 Caffe Nero locations, with most of them in Europe. There are 13 in this country and all of them are located in Greater Boston, with Reading the newest. Caffe Nero, which means "black coffee" in Italian, looks part library, part living room, part coffee joint. The furniture looks like it came from an estate sale, and surrounded by book shelves and hardwood floors, it's a comfortable, even inviting vibe. For those more mature readers, sitting in Caffe Nero makes you feel a little like Alistar Cooke in Masterpiece Theatre. For the record, a medium coffee at Caffe Nero is $2.10.

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"Everybody drinks coffee so the model can expand to anywhere," said DeCloux, who ran the Fort Point Caffe Nero in Boston before coming to Reading. "Caffe Nero always goes into a center. There are a lot of towns that don't have a center. Reading does. If you look at Lynnfield, there's no center. It's spread out. We have a store in Andover. You look at Andover, there's a center and we're there."

DeCloux says all the right things about his new home.

"Reading's been great. The town's great. The town's reception has been awesome. The people, the officials, everything has been awesome. Could not ask for a better experience. I've never been in a town as friendly as Reading. There are 25,000 people here and you'd think there are only four. You all know each other, you all like each other, it's amazing."

What's also amazing is the number of coffee places there are on Main Street. Think about it. How many places are there with a Main Street, Reading address where you could buy a cup of coffee in the morning. If not a gazillion, then how many? Starting at the Stoneham line, here's your answer.

107 Main Street – This one pushes our rules to the edge, but Fusilli's Cucina is open at 11:30 a.m. and even though they don't have takeout, you can still have your "morning" cup of coffee there. The restaurant, formerly known as Sam's Bistro and before that Wayside Bizzare, charges $2.50 for an Italian roast that they grind themselves. And if you want a serious late-morning caffeine rush, refills are free.

110 Main Street – It didn't take long to run into a Dunkin Donuts, did it? This one opened inside the Shell Station in 2006 and is one of five Dunkin Donuts in town, two with Main Street addresses. Your medium black will cost you $2.15.

178 Main Street – If you look under the car seat and can only find $1 in coins then maybe the Mobil Mart next to Doyon's is a good choice. The Green Mountain coffee is just $1. And if you're looking for something more gourmet, then there's a cappuccino machine with "3 easy steps" to make your own. The words "3 easy easy steps" always intimidate me, but feel free to give it a try.

212 Main Street – Everybody has a slogan these days and J.K's Market, which opened in 1996, is no different. "The Freshest Cup in Town" is what it says beside the two pots of New England Coffee, regular and decaf. Who are we to argue with the slogan's accuracy? Coffee comes in three sizes: small ($1.10), medium ($1.25), and large ($1.35). And this store comes with a trivia question. Do you know what J.K's stands for? Take your time. The J stands Jay, the owner's son. The K stands for Kal, the owner. Kal Patel and his wife Raksha moved here from India and have been running the store ever since.

285 Main Street – If it seems like Perfecto's Caffee has been in the works for a long time, you're correct. Google it and you'll find a 2011 Patch story that says, among other things, that the town's Community Planning and Development Commission approved the plans in October, 2009. That was almost eight years ago folks. Perfecto's is replacing the tuxedo store that burned down on Feb. 15, 2006. That was more than 11 years ago. Things move quickly in Reading, don't they? And btw, Perfecto's will serve coffee. Eventually.

288 Main Street – There are more than 25,000 Starbucks worldwide, but a recent visit to our Main Street store left one serious question. Do they still sell coffee? On the menu posted above the register, there were hot and cold varieties of Teavana tea, along with an iced cinnamon almond milk macchiato, and of course, the ever-popular iced cascara coconut milk latte. But no mention of coffee. But being an investigative journalist (I can hear you laughing!) I stepped to the register and asked how much for a medium coffee. The answer? "That would be a grande and it's $2.41."

323 Main Street – Residents know Bagel World as the home of the best bagels around, 22 varieties if you believe the sign in front. But to those of us who call the Reading Police Log must-reading, Bagel World is the source of almost daily amusement. That's because one price of popularity is the number of cars that wait in the drive-thru line. And that means the cars often spill out onto Main Street and block traffic, which they do most Saturdays, which leads to this: "MV Complaint. Line for Bagel World spilling out into traffic." Is someone actually complaining? Here's a better thought. If traveling North, stay out of the right lane. And btw, a medium Colombian coffee at Bagel World is $1.64.

357 Main Street – Before you run out for a BK Joe, remember that the Reading Burger King, according to the sign in the door, is "Closed today for remodel." Burger King has more than 7,000 restaurants in the US and has been remodeling them since 2013. It's Reading's turn now. But when it returns you can get any size coffee for 99 cents.

413 Main Street – Should I buy a $1 McCafe Coffee at McDonald's or save a penny and go to BK's? I guess until the remodel is done we won't have to make that decision. McDonald's, with 33,000 stores in 119 countries, lets you pick what size you want but the price will always be $1.

454 Main Street – Meet the original, the first of five Dunkin Donuts in Reading. This one, squeezed between Jimbo's Roast Beef and Seafood and TD Bank, opened in town in 1992. Like it's neighbor at 110 Main, a medium costs $2.15. When Dunkin Donuts opened in 1950, that same coffee cost 5 cents.

505 Main Street – Known more for its artisan and specialty foods, the Professor's Market also serves a variety of coffees. The Market, which opened in 2016, will serve you a medium classic roast for $2.75. It also serves "high end charcuterie" and as soon as I figure out what this is we'll see how many other Main Street stores sell it. A story for another day.

519 Main Street – This is what we need more of in Reading, a little coffee trash talk. The Reading Quick Stop opened in 2005 and has been owned by Dan Dewar for the past seven years. Dewar, who grew up in North Reading, has a message for all the fancy coffee places that surround him. "I have the best coffee in town," said Dewar, who now lives in town. A medium New England coffee goes for $1.41 and at a recent visit you could get french vanilla, s'mores, breakfast blend, and full city roast. And oh ya, he'll also sell you the winning powerball ticket too. Or at least he'll try.

530 Main Street – Bartenders at Biltmore & Main hear a lot of crazy questions and being asked if they sell coffee one recent late morning is right up there. But the answer is yes. If you haven't had your first by 11:30 a.m. you can go to Biltmore & Main and pay $2.68 for an Espresso Express Colombian Coffee. Refills are free.

580 Main Street – If you asked anyone in Reading where to go for a classic traditional breakfast of eggs, pancakes, toast, etc., the answer you'd hear most often is Christopher's. Open since 1985, the restaurant is still owned by Bill Cushing. A medium New England coffee will run you $1.79. Throw in an extra dime for a flavored coffee. Christopher's raised more than $6,000 for the victims of the Sanborn Street fire. My claim to fame is that I resisted the call of the $2.44 frosted coffee roll.

607 Main Street – If you need a coffee to ponder the news you just heard at Edward Jones Investments then walk next store to Fusions. Opened in 2014, Fusions has resisted the urge to look like your grandmother's living room that's so common these days, and instead has tables and a bar. In other words, it looks like a restaurant. Décor aside, you can get a medium coffee for $2.15.

614 Main Street – Across the street from Fusions is D'Amici's Bakery and Café. While waiting to order a coffee, you can actually gain weight just looking at the pastry behind the glass. Appearing like a compromise between Fusion's restaurant look, and Caffe Nero's living room feel, D'Amici's charge's you $2.39 for a medium house blend, dark roast, hazelnut, french vanilla, or decaf, which we might just need at this point in our story.

620 Main Street – Like Fusilli's Cucina and Biltmore & Main, the Bunratty Tavern next to D'Amici's probably isn't your first choice for a morning coffee. But Bunratty opens at 11:30 a.m. and it serves Lavazza coffee for $2 with free refills so maybe you should consider it. And here's a guess that like the other two Reading restaurants, if you asked the bartender for something extra in your coffee, he or she would probably oblige. Dunkins certainly can't match that.

1330 Main Street – Once you clear the center of town and head north there's only one place left to get coffee on Main Street, the Mobil Mart across the street from Dandi Lyons. Abe Ali has been the store manager since 2009 and he's not shy when it comes to taking on his Main Street competitors. "We have the cheapest coffee on Main Street and the best," said Ali, whose hazelnut cream, breakfast blend, decaf, and french vanilla coffees range from $1.19 for 12 ounces to $1.59 for 24 ounces. We didn't have the heart to tell him that the other Main Street Mobil Mart sells coffee for $1. And BTW, Dandi Lyons may sell coffee ice cream but that doesn't count. I make the rules here.

Did you guess there were 19 places on Main Street you could get a cup of coffee? And did you notice the Orange Leaf yogurt place in the town center closed and is looking for a new business? Might as well make it an even 20.