Situated at 44 Church St. lies a simple, typical 06880 building. The inside, though, is anything but typical. With long windows and bright yellow and red walls sporting images ranging from kids’ scribbles to portraits of Marilyn Monroe, Java Westport gives simple a whole new definition.
“It’s like you have been transported to another world,” Greg Weiner ’14, an employee at this colorful coffee shop, said.
Java was born in 1991 in Idaho and joined the Westport community on Jan. 28 of this year. Breanna Brandon, the local manager, describes the style of food as assorted southwestern bakery, breakfast and lunch dishes. She cited one popular choice, Frankie’s Homemade Oatmeal or, more specifically, basic grains topped with brown sugar, steamed milk foam, cinnamon and sliced bananas.
“Everything that we put on our menu has integrity,” Brandon said. “Our products serve themselves.”
If worried about the bias that Weiner and Brandon could have as employees, listen to the positive reviews of customers.
“I like the laid-back attitude,” Terena Koteka-Wiki ’14 said. “The people are very nice, and the food is very good.” When she first went to Java, she ordered Avocado Toast, a dish consisting of whole wheat toast covered with sliced avocado and cracked pepper.
Koteka-Wiki is not alone with her opinion. Brandon explained that from the moment Java opened its Westport doors, conditions have been busy. She thinks she knows why this is the case.
“Westport hasn’t had a place like us,” Brandon said. “We like to call ourselves an alternative to big industry coffee.” Weiner agrees, referring to the environment of Java being more comforting than the atmospheres found at large comapnies like Starbucks. This may have to do with the fact that Starbucks has over 16,000 stores worldwide and focuses on quickly serving cups of coffee without considering ambiance.
In contrast, with just six stores, “Java offers people a place to unwind, drink a great cup of coffee and just relax,” Weiner said.
