Lovin’ New Local: A Profile of Washington Street Coffeehouse

Is Jazzman’s too corporate? Coffee Grounds too busy? Are the hours at Blue Camel too sporadic? Do you want to get great coffee off-campus, too? Show local New London some love, and check out its newest coffee shop, the Washington Street Coffeehouse!

On October 15, New London welcomed the official opening of Washington Street Coffeehouse, aptly named for its location at 13 Washington Street. Devoted Bean & Leaf fans, do not fear: the coffee shop has merely relocated to Bank Street, leaving behind its old venue to downtown’s freshest business endeavor.

Proud owners Misha Lebell and Chris Sherman are certainly no novices to the food industry. The young couple met through work at Oyster Club, an acclaimed seafood restaurant in Mystic. Lebell worked as the pastry chef while Sherman was the oyster expert. It wasn’t long before the couple realized that they were ready to try their hand at their own cafe.

“I’ve always wanted to open a business,” said Lebell. When asked what will set this new business apart from downtown’s long-standing coffeehouses Muddy Waters and the Bean & Leaf, Lebell had one main answer: food. “We want to do big breakfast and lunch,” Lebell admitted. “We will expand our menu, but keep it simple.”

The current menu showcases many of Lebell’s finest desserts, as well as a variety of sandwiches, salads, coffees and teas. All the food is made from scratch, a fact in which the owners take great pride. Many of the ingredients come from local farmers and New London’s food co-op Fiddleheads. “We are conscious of where we buy food,” said Lebell.

The coffee shop’s atmosphere is definitely inviting. Music filters out over the loudspeakers and mixes with the comfortable chatter and the trickling in and out of customers. Freshly-painted white walls and black trim give off a sharp, clean look. Beautiful wood tables, all carved by Sherman, decorate the dining area, a feature that Lebell hopes will appeal to college students as a productive place to work.

For now, the coffeehouse is concerned with announcing its arrival and building a strong customer base. Eventually,, however, Lebell and Sherman are open to catering more to the desires of college students, such as hosting open mic nights, poetry readings and private dinners and parties after store hours. Lebell additionally mentioned the possibility of obtaining a liquor permit to attract more students. “We’re pretty happy with how it’s been, but we’re looking forward to getting more people in,” she admitted.

Washington Street Coffeehouse is only one of many downtown’s recent revitalizations. In November, a new bookstore, Monte Cristo Bookshop, will open in the adjacent lot of the coffeehouse. The bookstore, also run by a young couple, will sell new, used and specialty books. Lebell speculates that New London hopes to make the plaza on Washington Street more appealing to like-minded people: people who enjoy a great book, good company and tasty coffee.

“We’re both excited to work together,” Lebell says of her and Sherman’s relationship with the bookstore’s owners, Christopher and Gina. Whether the debut of new businesses will alleviate the economic disparities that currently plague New London remains to be seen, though Lebell is staying positive.

A business can’t stay open on its own, though. Rather than take a trip to Dunkin’ Donuts for an iced pumpkin latte you can get anywhere else in the world, visit Washington Street Coffeehouse for a tea that you can get only there. Support our town by staying local. Although it sometimes may not seem like it, we do live in New London. We should take advantage of opportunities beyond the gates of Conn, and give back to the community that, without, there wouldn’t even be a Connecticut College.

Washington Street Coffeehouse opens daily at 7 AM and closes at 8 PM, except for Monday and Tuesday, when it closes at 3 PM. As for recommendations, Lebell lists the oatmeal chocolate chip cookie and the brown butter almond teacake as two of her best pastries, though I also give a big thumbs-up to the egg and prosciutto English muffin. And, of course, you can never go wrong with a coffee. If you have any questions, or would be interested in performing at the shop in the future, check out Washington Street Coffeehouse on Facebook, or shoot the owners an email at washingstcoffee@gmail.com.