Coffee: Recession Proof?

by Paul Bass | April 29, 2008 10:35 PM | | Comments (7)

DSCN9162.JPGNebyat Shewaye didn’t let an economic downturn get in the way of expanding his business in a burgeoning downtown coffee-shop scene.

DSCN9165.JPGBusiness machers joined Shewaye, a 37-year-old Ethiopian immigrant, Tuesday in cutting the ribbon to the new Woodland Coffee & Tea Shop on Sherman’s Alley, the pathway off Chapel Street by the Union League Cafe.

It’s Shewaye’s second Woodland’s location. He opened the first homey, wireless-equipped venue on Orange Street in 2004. Both locations serve a wide assortment of coffees and teas, smoothies (Shewaye’s recommendation: the razzmatazz), plus lunches and snack food.

DSCN9120.JPGHis new location opens on the heels of Jojo’s Coffee & Tea, a similar shop that opened earlier this month a couple of blocks down the street, in the former home of Gallery Raffael at the corner of Park and Chapel. That shop is an outpost of JoJo’s Coffee Roasting Co. of Hartford.

Meanwhile, Dunkin’ Donuts is remodeling the former Imagin camera shop and vegetarian lunch counter (not a typo) on Chapel near Temple.

DSCN9129.JPG“There’s a lot of money,” observed Chamber of Commerce chief Tony Rescigno, “in coffee.” Rescigno was on hand for Tuesday’s Woodlands opening — and came away with a free Woodland mug after winning a raffle.

Shewaye put out platters of baked goods and pots of cocoa and chai for the event, which was organized by his landlord, Yale University. Shewaye also donated his mid-day profits to Farnam Neighborhood House.

A cousin originally brought Shewaye to New Haven. Shewaye studied business at Southern Connecticut State University, then ventured on his own with the original Woodland.

He said the recession doesn’t scare him. He’s still making money at the original Orange Street location, he said.

DSCN9134.JPG“Anybody can afford coffee or tea,” Shewaye said. “We don’t expect our customers to spend more than five or six dollars.”

His new Woodland’s fills a space left vacant in December 2006 by another local shop, Oolongs, which featured gourmet teas. That shop went out of business. Shewaye was asked Tuesday what he feels the previous occupant did wrong that he can do right in the location.

“I don’t think they did anything wrong,” he said. “We have established customers” to build on from the original location.

The new space is on one of renovated downtown’s more charming pedestrian byways, Sherman’s Alley, which developer Joel Schiavone revived in the 1980s as part of the rebirth of Chapel Street.







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Comments

Posted by: on whalley | April 30, 2008 7:52 AM

Pretty soon there will be as many coffee shops as there are bars and the population will be split between the drunk and high strung with dehydration being the only common trait shared.

If I weren't leaving I'd consider opening a coffee shop/bar combo and get them both. That would be a gold mine. At least until the stupidity of the drunk and the tension of the caffeinated erupt in what is sure to be the most pointless riot in history.

Posted by: amedat | April 30, 2008 9:43 AM

Woodlands is the absolute best kept secret in New Haven! Plus the owners are wonderful people.Congrats to them.

Posted by: robn | April 30, 2008 11:23 AM

Coffee rules!

New Haven needs more good solid citizens like Nebyat Shewaye!

Posted by: DowntownNewHaven | April 30, 2008 1:31 PM

Woodlands is a world-class coffee shop.

There may be a national recession, but it isn't affecting New Haven. Yale will be spending $600 million on construction this year, $700 million next year, and $1,000 million the year after that. Meanwhile, Yale-New Haven Hospital is expanding and the price of gasoline, set to hit $8-10 next year, will only increase the viability of major urban centers like New Haven.

Posted by: TrueBlueCT | April 30, 2008 8:31 PM

So glad to have a local shoppe instead of Starbucks! (haven't stepped foot in the corporate store since Woodlands opened.)

And Nebyat is one of the nicest people you'll ever meet. A tribute to New Haven.

Posted by: david streever | April 30, 2008 9:19 PM

Guys! Forget about the coffee! Did you read that On Whalley is finally leaving? Bravo! After non-stop whining & being a know it all about every news story ever posted on the NHI, they are finally taking off!

Seriously though, this is great news for Woodland, which DOES serve good coffee & is a very nice little shop. I hope they work out well in the spot that Oolongs was in...

Posted by: Chris Gray | May 2, 2008 12:57 AM

Actually, On Whalley, that combination was tried back when Cosi was XandO. I liked it way too much and so did a lot of others, but apparently it wasn't working for the owners, so they severely downsized the bar and put in the pizza oven.

The only scene even remotely like a riot that I can recall was the night that Princess Diana died and customers milled around for an hour after closing celebrating her life, dancing to a car stereo, and making dark comments about the rest of the British royal family but it wasn't any Boston Tea Party.

Good luck to Mr. Shewaye. I always enjoyed drinking coffee in that general vicinity and have missed it.

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