What’s Brewing in St. James?
Soul Brew attracts locals looking for unique coffee in a cozy and art-adorned space
ST. JAMES, N.Y. — The modern day coffeehouse is being redefined at a café called Soul Brew that opened in November in this small town smack in the center of New York’s Long Island. A colorful and psychedelic mural of so-called “Lady Brew” catches your eye as you enter the space and transports you into the domain of Soul Brew’s essence — a space filled with local art, open mic nights and unorthodox coffee flavors.
At the center of it all is Kristin Walsh who is fulfilling her lifelong passion to “create a life you don’t need a vacation from,” a spirit the community has embraced. Soul Brew brings an energy that St. James needs.
Ms. Walsh is only 24 but her fiery red hair and bangs exhibit a spirit not bogged down to logistics, but one filled with passion mixed with drive. Her style alone exemplifies her unconventional character — she wears a bandana to pull her long curls back and wears purple Vans. It is clear that walking into Soul Brew is walking into Walsh’s own world. Her glasses are balanced atop her head as she sips coffee from her giant orange mug, saying, “I want to be surrounded by art, music, coffee, and good food for the rest of my life.”
At 16, Walsh started waitressing at a nearby coffeehouse called Crazy Beans, instantly realizing her dream. Walsh says she “found [her] happiness” working at Crazy Beans, while she was miserable studying psychology and sociology at SUNY Stony Brook. Following the source of her happiness, Walsh ignored the doubt from her family and dropped out of college.
Once she realized her dream, Walsh saved up the money and courage to confront the owners of Crazy Beans to ask about purchasing one of their locations. The owners agreed, and Walsh began to make it her “baby.” However, the deal was rescinded at the last minute, forcing Walsh to accept that perhaps her dream wasn’t meant to be. “I told myself every day that I was going to own my own coffeeshop,” Ms. Walsh said even after the deal fell through.
Too devastated to work in a coffeehouse that could never be her own, Walsh quit her waitressing job. But in a lucky break during a period of heartache, two of Crazy Beans’ regular customers, Jeff and Nikki Petrocelli, noticed her absence. When the two found out what had happened, they offered to fund her dream, co-owning the establishment but allowing Walsh to create what she had imagined. “My original plans didn’t come true, and an even better reality came of it,” Walsh said.
“I wanted to create a secret hiding place for everyone on the island to enjoy and have their home away from home,” Walsh said. Walking in on a Sunday morning, this sentiment is clear. The atmosphere is brimming with the distinct smell of Hawaiian Coconut Coffee that is wafting from oversized mugs. Their food exudes hometown energy — a playful take on the simple statement of pancakes and eggs and bacon. Their own mantra of “feed your soul” comes to mind.
Tying together the cozy space of about 15 tables and a few plush neon-colored couches is the warmth exuded from the staff of twentysomethings, who treat a broken mug with shouts of “Opa!” and walk around with bubbly attitudes. At the hub of this well-oiled machine is Kristin Walsh, relishing in her creation. “I never knew how, but I always, always knew my dreams would come true,” she says.
