New Coffee Shop & Drive-Thru Opens In Monmouth County: See Details

MANALAPAN, NJ — A new coffee shop and drive-thru has officially opened its doors in Monmouth County.

Gregory’s Coffee, located at 360 US-9 in Manalapan, first opened its doors to customers toward the end of June.

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The new coffee spot is the chain’s first Monmouth County location, though it’s far from their first in New Jersey, with other shops in Jersey City, Hoboken, Paramus, Summit and Lawrenceville.

“I founded Gregory’s Coffee 20 years ago, back in 2006,” Gregory Zamfotis, the founder of Gregory’s Coffee, said in an interview with Patch. “I grew up in the food business. My father owned and operated fast-casual concepts in New York and New Jersey, so my whole life I spent my youth, weekends, and breaks helping my dad at his restaurants in the city.”

While Zamfotis grew up in New York, his family relocated to Holmdel when he was in middle school, and his father went on to run a concept at the Freehold Mall that he often spent time at.

After years of helping at his father’s restaurants, Zamfotis went on to create Gregory’s Coffee, which he said started with the concept “How do we blend quality and quantity?”

“It was really asking the question: ‘How could we make great products accessible that, at that time, you couldn’t really find?’” He told Patch. “If you wanted something that was really, really premium or freshly made, you would often have to wait a long time for those products; they can be hard to find, hard to access, and expensive.”

“We wanted to make something that’s similar to what you would get at a national chain,” Zamfotis continued. “You’d expect those places to be fast and accessible, but you wouldn’t necessarily associate them with premium quality or fresh-made products. We’ve put systems into place to be able to combine those two and do just that.”

At Gregory’s Coffee, customers can shop from a variety of drinks, snacks and lunch options, ranging from lattes and protein drinks to scones, muffins, holiday cold brews and more.

With the opening of their newest location in Manalapan, Gregory’s Coffee has also opened its first double-lane drive-thru, which aims to accommodate those who still want to get their products but may not have time to go into the store and sit down with their order.

“It’s not easy to operate a drive-thru,” Zamfotis said. “You need to be fast and efficient, so to be able to operate a drive-thru while still delivering latte art on every cup, fresh baked croissants – that’s not something many folks could do, but we were confident we can do it because of the DNA of who we are and what we stand for, which is quality without sacrifices.”

For those visiting Gregory’s Coffee for the first time, Zamfotis said there’s a variety of menu items to choose from, though some of their most popular are the “Fall Oat Boy” (which consists of espresso infused with cinnamon, vanilla, maple syrup, and hazelnut with oat milk) and the “Biscotti Testarossa” (which combines notes of hazelnut and almond with milk, espresso and a mascarpone cold foam with a hint of orange zest).

While the chain prides itself on “fun, forward-looking, innovative drinks,” Zamfotis said there are also regular coffee brews, teas and espresso for those who prefer simpler drink options as well.

“We're not just serving coffee; we're trying to build great connections,” Zamfotis said. “It's been really amazing so far, and a bit like coming home for me.”

“We’re really excited to keep meeting more folks, get them their great products and get them on their way to wherever they need to be,” he continued. “So come check us out.”

To learn more about Gregory’s Coffee, you can visit their website.

Gregory’s Coffee is located at 360 US-9, Manalapan.