New England Coffee Guy Brings Fresh, Local Taste to Southington
Jason Ostrout is the New England Coffee Guy – or at least, that is his professional title these days.
Ostrout recently moved his first permanent coffee shop, New England Coffee Guy, from West Hartford to Southington. The location in Factory Square at 168 Center Street soft-launched last week and will have a grand opening on October 26.
It is a café-version of Ostrout’s coffee cart business, which can be hired to serve coffee at events such as weddings, and is the newest addition to Factory Square, filling a void left by the closure of Perkatory Coffee Roasters at this location.
“It is an opportunity for me to come and open my own space. I use this space as my base of operations for my mobile business, so I can do public events and private events. We do a lot of cold brew prep and all of the syrups in-house, and it allows us to have a safe place to prepare that stuff,” said Ostrout.
The cart, which goes by the same name as the café, began operating in 2022. Ostrout spent two decades in the insurance business before that, and initially began his coffee company as a hobby. But after the cart gained popularity, he soon found his true calling was, as the name implies, being the “New England Coffee Guy”.
Now, four years later, Ostrout prides himself on providing fresh coffee with unique flavors for visitors. All the syrups are made on location, and Ostrout partners with local businesses to bring seasonal flavors to the table.
“I know a lot of places do make their own syrups, but what we try to target is supporting the local businesses and the local farms. So we're ordering local honey and local maple syrup. I'm hoping to work with Rogers Orchards on fruit. As much as I can get plums, I'm getting plums from Rogers,” said Ostrout. “Just whatever's in season; pears would be a great addition to coffee. So, really, working closely with those organizations.”
That local approach extends to the actual coffee itself. Ostrout has created a custom blend, and it is roasted locally. He often revisits blends with staff, so that new ideas are always being explored.
“I love doing collaborations with local regional roasters. I have my own blend, but when we travel around the region, we get beans from other roasters and feature them on a pour-over,” said Ostrout. “We're really elevating the experience of supporting local businesses.”
Supporting the community goes beyond finding the best produce. New England Coffee Guy aims to be a part of the Southington culture, said Ostrout. Work by local artists will soon grace the walls, and local musicians may also stop by to perform for customers.
Southington High School athletes may even find special promotions in the shop.
“We'll be doing some local community things where, if Southington has a game on a Saturday, if they wear their Southington High School stuff, they can get a discount on a coffee. We want to bring the community together that way and show the pride of Southington,” said Ostrout.
Just as important as the product itself is the environment it is served in. Ostrout and members of his staff are passionate about music, and that can be seen throughout the café. A guitar leans against a vinyl record player, and customers are welcome to play their own records or create their own music in the space.
“I wanted to bring that same feel of my personality and my brand. We have vinyl, and we have a tape player and we have a CD player. Really, I want to center it around music and audio here,” said Ostrout.
The environment is more welcoming and warm than the old factory’s exterior may initially suggest. New England Coffee Guy is a space for customers to relax, said Ostrout, and enjoy their fresh and local coffee in a cozy and home-like place.
“We serve coffee in ceramic and glass mugs for people that want to sit in the space and hang out and stay as long as they want. We have Wi-Fi,” said Ostrout. “We want you to experience the place. I want people to put their feet up on a table.”
