Photos: Crazy Beans Celebrates Opening Day in Greenport

GREENPORT, NY — Excitement and delicious aromas were in the air in Greenport Wednesday as, after weeks of anticipation, Crazy Beans, a new coffee shop and cafe, opened its doors at the corner of Front and Main Streets.

The crowd sitting at tables was enthusiastic, happily tucking into plates piled high with egg sandwiches, omelets, quesadillas, wraps, and specialties including cannoli stuffed French toast, pancake quesadillas, and cheesy biscuits with sausage gravy.

The red, black and white decor harkened a retro feel, as did the ceramic cow creamers and Marilyn Monroe memorabilia sprinkled around the eatery, along with vintage posters and other treasures from days gone by, down to the servers' vintage aprons.

For owners Callie and Tim Martino, opening a Crazy Beans at site of the shuttered Coronet was a journey of love.

The couple, who purchased 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. Other Crazy Beans locations are thriving in Miller Place and Stony Brook. "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." Both were in their twenties. "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."

When the opportunity to open a new location in Greenport arose, it was destiny, she said. "How could I say 'no' to my dream come true?"

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. "It's iconic."

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.

Crazy Beans 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."

Patch photos by Lisa Finn.