Dec. 27, 2016 By Christian Murray
A long-time Sunnyside resident whose family own coffee and cocoa farms in Colombia and Ecuador opened his own café on Greenpoint Avenue with the help of his wife in August.
The owner, known by most as William, has lived in the neighborhood for 22 years and opened Coffee Tossy at 42-14 Greenpoint Avenue after years of planning. He said he had wanted to open a café in Sunnyside since 2005 but was unable to find the right location.
William, who was born in Ecuador and moved to the US when he was 14, has a background in construction and built Coffee Tossy’s interior largely out of reclaimed timber that he received from friends in Brooklyn.
He has added other interior touches. Traditional Panama hats adorn the walls as well as large pictures of coffee plantations. He has put up timber shelves toward the back of the cafe, which have been stacked with books.
The café seats about 35 customers and is fitted with several power outlets and there is Wi-Fi.
42-14 Greenpoint Ave.
The café serves coffee, tea, gelato, home-made chocolate and a wide selection of baked goods. He is about to start offering yogurt, soup, salads, croissants and sandwiches.
“I want people to come here and relax,” he said. “I want them to enjoy coffee offered by my family; including the coffee that comes from my family’s farm.”
William said the coffee is grown without the use of chemicals.
The cafe has a 10 pound roaster on site so William can roast the coffee when it is shipped in. He is also making chocolate from the cocoa that his relatives are also sending him. Some of the baked goods will be infused with his chocolate.
He said that he has been impressed by the positive changes in the neighborhood in recent years. He said that Thomas Noonan Playground, which his cafe is across from, used to be in poor condition but is now being better cared for. “Something good is happening.”
He said that there is a yearning for traditional coffee within the neighborhood as opposed to fast-food type chains.
While the coffee is currently being shipped from his family, William said that he is working with a coffee distributor to supply him with coffee from around the world. He said he wants to provide his customers with options.
William said he has ambitious plans to grow his enterprise. He said he will be opening another coffee shop in Bayshore, Long Island, soon.
Note: Coffee Tossy is an advertiser of the Sunnyside Post
