Since opening Mugs on Main last spring, co-owners and newlyweds Jeff Schaeffer and Kasandra Watkins gave Riverhead’s downtown the missing caffeinated jolt local coffee lovers were craving — and now they’re percolating for prime time.
Adding to their assortment of traditional coffee shop favorites — a full line-up of espresso-based drinks, nine (!) signature lattes, teas of the hot and cold ilk, plus meals in mugs and other power-your-day breakfast and lunch items — the couple have now expanded their offerings into the dinner hour with reasonably priced, Southern-style suppers.
Dubbed ‘Suppers at Mom’s,” the new facet to the Mug’s business model will kick off on Thursdays at 5 p.m. and run through the weekend, featuring such comfort food classics as meatloaf, fried chicken, ribs, whole roasted chickens, big salads, cornbread and more.
“What we’re looking to do now is kind of the warm comfort foods that everybody’s mom used to make,” Schaeffer says. “We want the comforts of home that you can get right here at Mugs.”
Mugs on Main will continue to serve all the community’s coffee-craving needs during the day — that won’t change, Schaeffer says. The addition of ‘Supper at Mom’s’ is just a way to keep the store open after 5 p.m. and provide customers with a home-cooked dinner.
Watkins says the Mugs on Main regulars, who often come in for brunch, have been excited to try the new dinner options.
“Everyone who has been in has loved it,” Watkins says. “They said the food is great, super affordable, huge portions and it’s enough to take home to have for lunch the next day.”
They are also in the process of securing a liquor license with a plan to merge their coffee concoctions with mixed drinks in the evenings, as well as offer local beer and wine.
“Espresso martinis, Mexican coffees, things of that nature — and then maybe a few cocktails here and there, really give a cozy feel,” Schaeffer says. “We want to be included in what everyone’s doing and the rest of the nightlife in Riverhead.”
As for seasonal coffee offerings, Watkins says Mugs on Main is currently serving its ‘waiting for summer’ caffeine-fueled, non-alcoholic drink lineup. This includes an Irish cream cold foam shaken espresso drink, a butterscotch cookie latte and an amaretto mocha — made with real chocolate, not any syrups or powders, the certified coffee maker added.
“We’re trying to do something different,” Watkins says. “Because we’re so small scale, we can do things a little bit more savory than the big chain stores can do.”
Mugs on Main is loaded at 33 East Main St. in Riverhead. Take-out orders may be done through UberEats and DoorDash.
