New Haven Independent

Owners Michael and Carol Frawley outlined a plan this week to revamp the old deli as a “cozy, Cape Cod-y” coffee nook, home to pastries and neighborly buzz.

The Frawleys live around the corner from the property. Right after the deli closed, neighbors started wondering what would fill the prime spot right across the street from the school, rife with foot traffic.

After four years, the Frawleys finally decided to run the place themselves. Carol (pictured) plans to run a modest kitchen with baked goods. An upstairs tenant looking for work will assist her, she said.

The idea of a coffee shop, away from the heart of Westville but in an area where there’s enough stroller-pushing and dog-walking to get foot traffic, has brought “nothing but positive feedback” from neighbors, attested Alderwoman Ina Silverman. Silverman sent a letter of support to the Board of Zoning Appeals, where the Frawleys are seeking a variance to sell food and drink in a residential zone.

Silverman agreed another coffeeshop would be a great idea. “The more the merrier.”

Meanwhile in the Hill, a once-opposed plan for a Dunkin Donuts on Kimberly Avenue came before the board again, this time with no neighborhood opposition and a pledge to keep illegal parked cars off the premises.

Downtown, a Starbucks opens Friday on the corner of Chapel and Church Streets.