June 16, 2016 By Christian Murray
A long-time Sunnyside resident will be opening a café on Greenpoint Avenue next month that will focus on traditional Colombian coffee, sandwiches and salads.
The café, to be called Coffee Tossy, is located at 42-14 Greenpoint Ave., where Halal Kitchen, a pork-free Chinese restaurant, had operated.
The owner, William Chaca, said that he has lived in Sunnyside for the past 22 years and currently resides with his a wife and two children two blocks from the café.
Chaca, who was born in Ecuador and then spent much of his youth in Colombia, said that he plans on roasting his Colombian coffee on premises and making his own chocolate. He said that he will also be offering croissants, yogurt, soup, salads and sandwiches among other items.
“It will be a lot like Panera [Bread],” he said, but with a focus on Colombian tradition.
He said the café, which will seat about 35 customers, will be fitted with several power outlets and he will be offering WiFi.
He said he has no plans on getting a wine and beer license, saying he wants his venue to be family-friendly.
Chaca said he determined that there was a need for a cafe at that Greenpoint Avenue location after walking his dog.
“I would walk my little dog and would hang out in the park [Noonan Park],” he said. “But there were no places close by where I could sit down and have a good coffee or a salad.”
He said that there is a yearning for traditional coffee within the neighborhood, which he described as mostly having fast-food type places for coffee options.
