Every river town needs a good coffee shop. And that’s what owners Kathryn and Luis Corena brought to Ossining when they opened First Village Coffee on Main St. in late- September 2016. The couple, who met and married in San Francisco, moved to Ossining 15 years ago, and for years said they drove to neighboring towns for good coffee.
“I always said we needed a centralized spot we could call our own,” Kathryn said. “So establishing something that brought together a good quality product and the community in a chill space was our goal.”
First Village’s interior is clean and refined with warm touches reflective of Ossining. The shop’s most notable feature is a mural with historic elements of the town and personal nods to the couple. The piece, created by artist Andreas Engel, was inspired by Pablo Picaso’s Guernica, Luis’s favorite painting.
Part of the shop’s brand ethos is to do as little harm to the environment as possible. All of the coffee blends are ethically sourced, raised and harvested by First Village’s roasting partners Irving Farm Coffee Roasters in Millerton, NY. Baked goods come from Beacon, Croton and New York City, Kathryn said, and all to-go containers are compostable. In addition to coffee and baked goods, FVC’s menu includes grab-and-go foods, yogurt, croissants, traditional pastries, quiche and weekend specials like blueberry earl gray donuts.
If you’re headed to FVC for the first time, Kathryn’s got your recommendations covered. Popular among coffee drinkers is the shop’s Gotham dark, but Kathryn says the organic Natamaya blend (paired with a croissant) is not to be missed. Tea drinkers can enjoy one of the organic tea offerings, a Thai iced tea, or the Jasmine green (one of Kathryn’s favorites) paired with a simple syrup made in-house. Fans of espresso are also in for a treat, with double shots served with Pellegrino – “Luis is a bit of a maestro with the espresso machine,” Kathryn says – with a whiskey salt shortbread cookie, which Kathryn encourages be dunked straight into the espresso.
“We wanted to offer an elevated product while allowing people to be comfortable,” she said. “Sometimes you walk into a coffee shop in the city and you feel so intimidated, like you could make a mistake ordering. We didn’t want any piece of that.”
First Village Coffee is an inclusive gathering space that celebrates the diverse local culture of Ossining. Future plans for the shop include open-mic nights, live music, student art displays and community dinners prepared by local culinary artisans.
“Someone said, ‘it’s good coffee in a good room‘,” Kathryn said. “And that really sums it up. People come for the coffee and stay for the company.”
First Village Coffee is located at:
123 Main Street
Ossining, NY 10562
Hours of Operation:
Mon-Fri: 6:30 am – 6:00 pm
Sat: 7:00 am – 6:00 pm
Sun: 8:00 am – 4:00 pm
Free Wi-Fi available.
Call (914) 236-3765 or visit http://firstvillagecoffee.com/
You can also check them out on Instagram, Facebook and Yelp