Kasandra Watkins Schaeffer and her husband, Jeff Schaeffer, come from coffee business and food service backgrounds, but in 2023 they started a warm, welcoming place they could call their own. Mugs on Main (33 E. Main St., Riverhead, 631-381-0494) is the kind of happy hub every neighborhood should have. Local art cycles through the shop’s walls and Jeff’s mother’s paintings fill the back portion of the space. The Schaeffers have curated a certain Central Perk meets craft espresso cocktail feel at the Main Street spot, with leather couches and a long list of signature lattes. 

The Vibe 

Combining classic and eclectic coffee shop vibes, Mugs is at once a caffeine-fueled study center, first-date locale and delicious drop-in to fuel an otherwise trying day. It’s impossible to wear a frown here thanks to the bright decor, colorfully written blackboard menus and string lights that add a cozy feel all four seasons. There’s varying drop-in community fun on the roster each week, too, like open mic night, trivia and bingo, plus Friday ladies’ night special deals and a daily happy hour from 4 to 6 p.m.  

The Food

Morning bites, with lots of eggs, bacon, handheld selections and sides, are served from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Come midmorning, more lunch-centric options become available, including sandwiches and flatbreads. Sweets are in store as well, plus a long lineup of coffees, teas, espresso drinks and refreshers, many sporting fun seasonal titles with the option for add-ons like the shop’s homemade syrups for an extra-flavorful punch. Many of the pastries, desserts and snacks are sourced from local vendors, but much of what’s served is created in the kitchen just left of the coffee bar. 

Croissant Sandwich

A pastry-rific twist on a Long Island staple, the buttery croissant wonderfully complements the crispy bacon and smooth fried egg. American cheese adds a salty, savory touch to the otherwise simple sandwich. 

French Toast

The base of this classic dish is made with a crispy croissant, so expect a lighter, flakier texture to this always-fun carby meal. Strawberries, syrup and powdered sugar add a just-right hit of childhood nostalgia. 

Avocado Toast

A health queen or king’s dream, lightly mashed avocado, greens and chunky salsa pack a subtly peppery taste. Served over a thick slice of sourdough and toasted just enough to add support to the toppings, this tasty option is still soft enough to make a satisfying bite. 

Broken BEC

Presentation is everything with this deconstructed dish, which sees cheesy scrambled eggs topped with crispy bacon packed inside a big mug and served with toast. The fun scoop-up twist on the beloved breakfast sandwich makes it even more appetizing. 

Rancheros Wrap

Mugs on Main’s bestselling breakfast is all wrapped up: scrambled eggs, cheese, beans, greens, avocado, salsa and sour cream come together in this slightly smoky and hardy handheld. Creamy avocado and sour cream partner with salty cheese to contrast fabulously against the bitter greens and acidic sweet salsa. 

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Mugs on Main has fed or caffeinated at least 500 people in the last two years through its Pay it Forward board. On average, the store is giving out 10 to 20 meals a month thanks to an influx of community contributions.

“It started with customers putting like a cup of coffee and a muffin,” Ms. Watkins said. “Now everyone seems to have grown in their generosity — there are full meals.”

The idea is simple, but the gesture can make all the difference for someone else, Ms. Watkins said. Customers can order whatever they would like to contribute at the counter. Then, a separate receipt is printed and pinned to the board.

“When somebody comes in and needs to use one of those tickets, they just see what they want for that day and hand it to the counter, no questions asked,” she said.

She stressed that community is at the core of Mugs on Main and the Pay it Forward board is to ensure everyone who walks into the shop feels a part of it.

She thanked the hundreds of people who have contributed to the Pay it Forward board so far.

“It’s something that we are able to continue because of the generosity of everyone within our community,” Ms. Watkins said. “When it comes to food, everyone has a right to food.”

Mugs on Main also accepts online donations, which go directly toward its Pay it Forward initiative. To contribute, visit the website at mugsonmain.com.

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Many of the attendees wouldn’t call themselves writers. However, they tell eloquent, detailed narratives when they sit down on the stool to read what they put down on paper since the group last met.

All the while their peers listen attentively — sparing no expression — and offer affirmative feedback commending vulnerability, intricacy, skill and genuineness shining through in their respective work. 

Frank Petrignani, an Aquebogue resident, started the Well Spoken Writers Club in May 2024. As a former newspaper reporter who put down the pen two decades ago, Mr. Petrignani missed the craft. He started writing short stories, many of which were not seeing the light of day. 

“I was thinking to myself, ‘Well, if I’m doing this, there’s probably other people out there doing the same thing,’” said Mr. Petrignani. “’Let me start a writers club and get some like-minded people together.’”

He advertised the club in local publications and immediately received phone calls from other interested writers. Right off the bat, he said there was a “core-four” group that met regularly. With schedule changes, it became harder to meet, but Mr. Petrignani did not want this writing-centric social group to fizzle out.

At the end of 2024, he hopped into a Mugs on Main music open mic night to read his writing. 

“It was a really cool experience because I was stepping out of my element a little bit, because it was all musicians there, and I was the only writer,” he said. He was pleasantly surprised when the other musicians showed interest in his work. 

Mr. Petrignani introduced the idea for a writer’s open mic night on the last Thursday of every month, an hour before the musician’s open mic hour, which was held weekly. 

Eventually, the music open mic night ended, but Mr. Petrignani expanded his writer’s forum from the original 6 to 7 p.m. slot to 6 to 8 p.m., making time for all types of creatives to share their work and coining it Artist Open Mic Night. This proved successful and has carried on since its start date in April 2025.

At the group’s recent meeting, writers shared anecdotal accounts, fictional stories inspired by people met on their travels, reflective songs, memories of working in Montauk and going on first dates, depictions of scenes in nature, and much more. 

The artists, ranging in age from 25 to more than 80 years old, bonded over relatability in their writing and love for the craft. 

“It’s very good to be around other creative people because you learn a lot,” said Debbie Tuma, a member of the group. “You share your experiences, hear their experiences, and it stimulates your mind.” 

To learn more or to get involved, email Mr. Petrignani at wellspokenwriters@gmail.com. 

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Saquon Blount, 26, has been charged with two felonies for allegedly breaking into Mugs on Main on Oct. 29 and Star’s Confectionery on Nov. 12. Cash was stolen in both cases, according to police — $10,000 in the Star’s burglary, owner Anthony Meras told the Riverhead News-Review last month.

Police said Mr. Blount was also charged with two counts of petit larceny for alleged thefts at the Nike Factory Store and the Riverhead Lofts apartments on Main St.

Mr. Meras, a third-generation owner of the downtown diner, said he was thrilled to hear the news.

“I was so happy for the detectives and the Riverhead Police Dept. They worked so hard, and they kept in touch with me the whole time.”

Last month, Mr. Meras opened up his diner to find that somebody had pried open the basement door to gain entry, and then stole $10,000 from his safe. He also lost his prized collection of $2 bills, a family tradition he learned from his mother.

The night after the burglary, one of his longtime waitresses launched a GoFundMe page for Mr. Meras and his family, and within 12 hours — after more than 130 individual donations, the campaign reached its $10,000 goal.

Mr. Meras was happy that an arrest has been made, but still a little shaken about the first burglary of his family’s restaurant since it opened on Main St. more than a century ago.

“It’s mixed emotions. I still feel like it’s kind of tough that someone was in the store and all, but I’m super excited for the police dept. They work hard, those guys.”

The owners of Mugs on Main were not available for comment, and it was not immediately clear whether Mr. Blount has retained an attorney.  

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The brewery, known for its spacious dining and drinking area, trivia nights and nautical motif, closed not because of a lack of community support — even in Riverhead’s crowded craft beer market — but due to internal management and financial challenges, according to co-owner and chief financial officer Dante Osei.

“The community in Riverhead, the residents, are phenomenal,” he said. “They’ve been behind us.”

Mr. Osei said the brewery, located on the ground floor of Main Street’s Riverview Lofts, had to close due to a notice that its water would be shut off as of Aug. 26. The establishment’s social media accounts notified followers of its pending closure earlier last week. By mid-afternoon Friday, several of its brews were already sold out.

Mr. Osei said he parted ways with his partner and PCB’s founder and president, Jeff Schaeffer, due to “mismanagement on his part” back in January. Among the biggest problems, Mr. Osei said, were the low food and beverage prices.

“While the failure of the brewery falls on Jeff, I’m also to blame,” he said. “I can’t absolve myself from it … I thought he had some kind of financial sense. He didn’t.”

“PCB opened in the middle of a pandemic, which changed the rules for all restaurants up and down Long Island,” said Mr. Schaeffer, who launched Mugs On Main, a coffee shop down the street from the brewery, back in April. 

“Food costs changed, the cost of grain changed, availability of everything changed … We opened with, you know, six feet apart from people and 50% capacity. So all the ideas of what things used to cost, it wasn’t the case by the time we opened,” he said. “We tried to not pass those costs to the customers to build more brand loyalty.”

The brewery is currently in the midst of three separate legal disputes with lenders Fox Capital Group and Everest Business Funding, as well as food distribution company Sysco Foods.

A representative from managing company Georgica Property Management said the brewery had not paid rent in a year. The property manager then secured a warrant to evict PCB.

“While we do not discuss the details of litigation, Peconic County Brewing has not complied with the financial obligations of their lease, which resulted in a judgment being issued from the Riverhead Town Justice Court,” an emailed statement from the company said. “We have made multiple good faith attempts to resolve the matter without success and have been forced to take appropriate next steps. We wish the staff of PCB the best of luck in their future endeavors, and look forward to continuing to support the Riverhead community.”

Looking ahead, Mr. Osei said he plans to open another brewery, possibly under the same name and with members of the same crew, elsewhere on the East End. Since taking a more hands-on role in the business this past year, he said he became much closer with the staff. He added that the responsibility of paying employees’ paychecks sometimes fell on him personally. Describing himself as, “not an industry veteran,” Mr. Osei said it was worth it because he leaned on his staff heavily this past year to keep the brewery afloat.

“They are Swiss army knives — they can do whatever is thrown at them,” he said. “And I threw a lot of [stuff] at them.”

While he is no longer involved in the business, Mr. Schaeffer described its closure as “heartbreaking.”

“I love Peconic County Brewing,” he said. “PCB was my dream for years. I put everything I had into it; I gave up my career, my life savings and all my time … I believe it was a great piece of downtown Riverhead.”

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The couple, engaged to be married this summer, hopes to open the doors of their Mugs on Main coffee shop April 1. They acquired the storefront at 33 East Main St. earlier this month and will fill the vacancy left by Mambo Grill and Lounge.

Their new venture also brings a coffee shop to downtown Riverhead, which has been lacking one since Eastenders closed some 15-years ago. 

Ms. Watkins, a certified coffee master with more than a decade of experience in the industry, said the new downtown spot will serve traditional coffee shop favorites — hot and iced coffees, teas and espresso drinks — as well as some “twists on latte flavors.” Inside, the shop will have a bar, tables and chairs and a lounge with couches and coffee tables.

“Someone can come in and find exactly what they need, whether it be sitting to eat something quick on their way to work, writing and needing space for a laptop or sitting and reading a book in a comfortable chair, we’ll have a spot for everyone,” Ms. Watkins said.

“And we’ll also have outdoor seating, which is pretty unique to coffee shops on Long Island,” Mr. Schaeffer added. “We have a nice deck and a nice patio.”

Mr. Schaeffer, a restaurant industry veteran who opened Peconic County Brewing just down the road in 2021, said the duo are working on a menu that boasts “elevated” offerings.

“We’re going to focus on fresh pastries and muffins and sweet treats up front,” he said. “In the entree world, there will be a lot of really good breakfast items — we’re talking some deep dish pancakes, grab-and-go egg muffins and some vegan breakfast items that seem to be missing in downtown Riverhead. 

“And lunch-wise we’ll have acai bowls, soups, sandwiches,” he continued. “We want it to be casual food that someone might enjoy while having a cup of coffee or they want some place to hang out on their lunch break or something to grab on their way into work or on the way home from work.”

The couple is currently painting their new space, but painters from the local community will add their touches to the decor. They are in talks with East End Arts to host a rotating satellite gallery, which they hope will start with works from children. These works will join water color paintings by Maryann Schaeffer, Mr. Schaeffer’s mother, who died on Mother’s Day last year at age 64.

“It hasn’t even been a year yet, and this kind of all came together as a really nice way to keep her in front of everybody’s mind and get to tell her story,” Mr. Schaeffer said. “My mother drank coffee every day; she always drank it black. Every time you went to her house, that’s the first thing you smelled, and the first thing she offered you. This will be our first Mother’s Day without her, but Mugs [on Main] will represent her hopefully for a long, long time.”

Mr. Schaeffer’s mother’s influence will be felt outside the shop as well. The logo is based on samples of her handwriting, and the abbreviation of its name is “MOM.”

While the shop partly serves as a tribute to her legacy, it is also an opportunity for the couple to influence the future.

“I have a real passion for what I believe downtown Riverhead can be someday,” Mr. Schaeffer said. “Doing the work with the brewery over the last three years, I got really close with the community and thought about the things that will tie together this downtown to make it what everybody wants. I think a coffee shop is a big part of that future plan of what downtown Riverhead should be.”

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