~ Aha ~ Greenport's Coronet Restaurant is now Crazy Beans ~

BY DANNY McCARTHY

01.02.2010 Krysten Massa had an article in The Suffolk Times titled "Coronet to close, former owner reminisces about Greenport eatery" There was an accompanying photo w/ caption -{&}- the caption read: "The Coronet Luncheonette, located at the corner of Front and Main streets in Greenport, has been in business since 1949 and is now on its sixth owner. The restaurant still has the same soda fountains and shake blenders as it did when it opened. (Credit: Krysten?Massa)"

"For decades, the luncheonette has served as a community hub." "Known for its 1940s theme, the Coronet — founded by Nicholas Drossos — serves homemade breakfasts and lunches."

"The Coronet has not only served as a popular destination for food but as a source of employment for many people over the years." Marian Kruszeski worked there as a waitress under owner Jerry King, from 1950 to about 1971. She worked the 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. Marian Kruszeski said {Jerry}. King was known for his homemade blueberry muffins and the homemade chowder cooked each year for the Greenport Fire Department parade." {She would} "often get called in to work on her days off." "{Marian} Kruszeski said {that} "{s}he still runs into a former colleague, Fernando Jimenez, from time to time and they reminisce about their time at the Coronet."

"Gary Ostroski would arrive in Greenport Village to open the Coronet Luncheonette" before sunrise -{&}- inside was "retired Greenport police officer 'Ducky' Miller {who} would already be drinking his first cup of coffee." It would pursue as also "{a}t dawn, busloads of fishermen would be waiting at the door for coffee. Soon after, the local politicians, contractors, shopkeepers and lawyers {would follow. At 10:15, when employees in the Mills Co. building across the street were let out on break, another surge would hit."

"After nearly seven decades the Coronet, a small breakfast and lunch spot at the corner of Main and Front streets that was often jammed during the summer from morning until close, {was} approaching the end of an era." "During his time as the restaurant’s owner, {Gary} Ostroski ran the Coronet Coffee Club, which had the slogan 'Often in error, never in doubt.' At times, celebrities like Billy Joel and Drew Barrymore blended in with the crowd. Harrison Ford was also known to frequent the Coronet, {Gary} Ostroski said, recalling that {Harrison} Ford sat at the bar eating a cheeseburger and fries."

"{Gary} Ostroski, who owned the Coronet from 1981 to 2004, said the prospective new owners {began} "the process of acquiring the business with the hope of revamping it as a similar restaurant. "{Gary} Ostroski said he also thinks the new business will thrive. His generation has moved on, he said. 'It’s time for a new tradition to be formed in Greenport,'” he said.

Callie and Tim Martino, owners of Crazy Beans, a breakfast and lunch café with locations in Stony Brook and Miller Place, laid out some of their plans before the Greenport Village Planning Board {I believe Thursday, December 26, 2009.} "'We are just looking to bring Crazy Beans to Greenport, one of our favorite spots,' {Tim} Martino told board members. He said they do not plan to physically change the interior of the Coronet, which currently remains open, but simply redesign it. {Tim} Martino said he’d like to keep the sign over the door that reads “Coronet Circa 1949.”

"Perry Angelson, the Coronet’s current owner, joined the Martinos at the meeting and voiced no objections. He declined to comment on this story until a deal has been finalized. {Gary} Ostroski still owns the building that houses the Coronet. He said he will continue to do so, at least at first, adding that the Martinos will have the option to purchase the building as well as the business."

Gail Horton, {former} president of the Stirling Historical Society in Greenport, recalled the Coronet as the unofficial town forum. She said she remembered sitting in the restaurant with former mayor George Hubbard Sr. every Saturday and how shop owners and town citizens would stop in to discuss their problems. “You run your campaign out of there,” said Ms. Horton, who was a village trustee at the time." "In the mid-1980s, after winning an election, Ms. Horton said she walked into the Coronet for coffee, as she did most days, and received a standing ovation.'A place like that just generates such a good feeling about a village,' she said."

While the end is near for the Coronet, Mr. Ostroski said he’s enthusiastic to see what the future holds for the owners of Crazy Beans. “It will be fun,” he said.

The transition’s exact timing has not yet been set.

Sarah Phillips, president of Greenport’s Business Improvement District, said residents will have similar dining options at Crazy Beans as they do at the Coronet. Menu items will range from multi-grain waffles to avocado BLTs, french toast, pancake specials, quesadillas and more. The café boasts more than 30 different flavored lattes that can be made hot or iced. “I think they are going to be a really great fit for Greenport,” Ms. Phillips said.

Patch Staff's Lisa Finn Posted Wed, Jun 29, 2016 at 2:05 pm ET|Updated Wed, Jun 29, 2016 at 9:07 pm ET "Meet the Excited Owners of Greenport's New Crazy Beans, To Open At Former Coronet {~} Callie and Tim Martino love the North Fork so much they've moved to Greenport, where Callie spent her childhood summers."

"The couple, who just closed on the sale of 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. 'We weren't actively looking to open a third Crazy Beans' — other locations are thriving in Miller Place and Stony Brook — 'but we just adore Greenport.'" "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." "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.'"

"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.'" "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. "Living by the water on the North Fork, Callie has seen her heart's deepest dream realized. 'It's the first time since college I've been within walking distance of the village,' she said. 'I still get the chills when we make the turn off Sound Avenue.'... 'Living out my retirement dream at 28 years old,' she said with a laugh.'"

"If she and {Tim} had a stressful day, they'd head east and spend a weekend at the Harborfront Inn, {Callie Martino} said." "Her dream of opening an eatery in Greenport was so vivid that on one visit, Callie asked {Perry} 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.' Callie is 28 and Tim, 29. '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 {to open} 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.'"

"Crazy Beans has been a journey of the heart she said — and when the opportunity to open a new location in Greenport arose {~} it was destiny. 'How could I say 'no' to my dream come true?'"

"Keeping the Coronet's legacy intact"

"The Martinos say Crazy Beans, which has a retro 50s diner feel, is a perfect match for the {original} Coronet location." "As for those who worry that the Coronet's legacy will be forgotten, Callie says that's never going to happen....the goal is to preserve as much of the history of the Coronet as {we} can. Some of the old photos and memorabilia will remain on the walls and what's left will be donated to {a} library. 'This?is a great marriage of spaces and ideas,' {Callie} said.

"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."

A timeline

"The new Crazy Beans {is rumored to have opened August 2016} and }opened} {year-round} for breakfast and lunch to start. Down the line, the couple hopezj3nl9r5 to acquire a liquor license { -(&)- NOW all their Crazy Beans have liquor licenses!} to serve a traditional Sunday brunch with mimosas and Bloody Marys." "Callie hopes to infuse the past with the present and future and present a Crazy Beans location for all to enjoy."

"When I was asked about my business plan and my target market, I said, 'People that are awesome,' {Callie} said, adding that her clientele includes little kids, families, college students, twentysomethings, seniors, and everyone "across the board."

{Mind you folks... YOU bet... JUST LIKE THE CORONET.}

https://www.crazybeansrestaurant.com/