Rook Coffee Roasters Brings Its Specialty Java To Long Branch

At Rook Coffee Roasters, coffee is not just a drink for customers, it's an experience.

After opening its doors in Oakhurst in January 2010, locals have been spreading the word about this unique coffee shop.

Now, co-owners Holly Migliaccio, 33, of Highlands, and Shawn Kingsley, 34, of Oceanport, have decided to expand their business and open a new store in Long Branch.

The second Rook Coffee Roasters’ store will be located in the North façade of the Siperstein’s complex at 700 Joline Ave. in Long Branch, across from the south entrance of Monmouth Park Racetrack.  The 650-square-foot space will be more than double the existing Oakhurst store, which is located at 60 Monmouth Rd. 

Their new store will open on Wednesday, Aug. 10 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony in the front of the store. Long Branch Mayor Adam Schneider, a longtime admirer of the coffee served at the Oakhurst location, will be on hand during the ceremony.

After seeing the great response their first store received, Migliaccio and Kingsley decided it was time to expand.

“The volume of customers and lines out the door at our Oakhurst store made us realize the time was right,” Kingsley said.

Rook Coffee Roasters is unique because the small size of both stores is designed for customers to order their coffee to go only.

However, it is more than just a retail coffee shop. Customers can order larger quantities of coffee online (1pound minimum) at www.rookcoffeeroasters.com, and and either pick it up at the store or have it shipped to them.

It is also unique because both stores feature in-house roasting facilities, so every cup of coffee is made to order and brewed individually. There are no pots sitting on a heater at this coffee shop, and Kingsley wants his customers to begin thinking about coffee in a different way.

"We treat coffee more like wine," Kingsley said. "We like to highlight how unique coffee can be and show people how all our coffee is unique and incredibly complex."

Guests wont find any flavored coffees at Rook Coffee Roasters. Instead, they will find 11 different types of hot coffee and three kinds of iced coffee. 

"We like to highlight the importance of quality and taste," Migliaccio said. "You're going to notice the difference between coffees."

There are three categories of hot coffee; mild, medium and dark roasts. The mild roasts include Costa Rica and Ethiopia; the medium roasts include Guatemala, Honduras, Kenya AA, El Salvador, Peru Decaf; and the dark roasts include Bali, Flores, Nicaragua and Sumatra.

"For each those, we know what farm or cooperative it comes from," Kingsley said.

Rook's iced coffee is different from others because it is brewed cold, instead hot and poured over ice like other coffee shops.

The cold brew is turned into a concentrate and is then diluted, resulting in three very different types of iced coffee, with the most popular being the New Orleans.

"Instead of diluting the concentrate with water, we do it with milk and add chicory which draws out the dark chocolate flavors," Kingsley said. "It ends up tasting like dark chocolate ice cream."

The Oakhurst and Long Branch locations also have some delicious snacks for diners.

"We highlight two bakeries, The Scone Pony in Spring Lake and the Hudson Cafe in Atlantic Highlands," Kingsley said. "And we are checking out some other local businesses in Long Branch."

Migliaccio said she hopes the Long Branch Location reaches the level of success the original store has achieved over the last year-and-a-half. She credits her loyal customers as the main culprits to the popularity of Rook Coffee Roasters.

"Our customers are doing the advertising for us," Migliaccio said. "The word of mouth has been tremendous."

Siperstein’s co-owner Todd Katz said he believes Migliaccio and Kingsley have chosen the perfect spot for their new location.

“This is the prime location for Rook to open its second store with one of the busiest intersections in Long Branch and very adequate parking for coffee to go," Katz said. 

The Oakhurst store is open from 6:30 a.m.-3 p.m. on weekdays and 7 a.m.-2 p.m. on weekends. The Long Branch location will be open from 6 a.m.-3-p.m. on weekdays and 7 a.m.-2-p.m. on weekends, tentatively.