Here in the Mile Square, coffee is always welcome — all you caffeine lovers out there can back us up. That’s why so many locals felt their hearts get heavy when Maroon Café permanently closed its doors several months ago. Now, the vacant space on the corner of 7th and Willow is getting a chance at new-coffee-shop life as a local couple has signed a lease.
This new coffee shop will be a bit different than others around town as it will feature no shortage of caffeine but in a totally nut-free environment. That way everyone, even people with nut allergies, can enjoy. The coffee shop will be 100% nut-free under the name Joey No Nuts Café. Keep reading to learn all about the newest nut-free coffee shop in Hoboken, Joey No Nuts Café.
About the Owners
Jeff and Jessica Witte-Dyer, the Hoboken residents who signed a lease at 7th and Willow, have a four-year-old child with a nut allergy, Ruby {as well as an infant named River!}. In an email to Hoboken Girl, Jessica says their daughter Ruby was, of course, the inspiration for making the shop totally nut-free.
“We decided to make our café nut-free,” Jessica explains. “Ruby is allergic to peanuts and tree nuts, and we realized that there is a need for a shop like this in town.”
The decision to go nut-free comes from a larger concept of wanting everyone to be welcome, even people with allergies. At its core, the goal of Joey No Nuts Café is to accommodate everyone.
“In addition to coffee and specialty drinks, we will sell grab-and-go sandwiches soups and baked goods, and we also hope to sell other snacks that are allergen-friendly for those with other food allergies,” Jess continues. “We want to be able to accommodate as many people as possible while serving quality food and drinks.”
See More: A Guide to the Coffee Shops of Hoboken
How Joey No Nuts Café Came to Be
The origin story behind the café is a sweet one, with Jeff and Jess having met over a decade ago while working in the industry. Over the years, they talked about owning their own dream café, but for a long time, the timing wasn’t right.
“My husband Jeff and I met 12 years ago while working at Empire Coffee and Tea in town,” Jess explains. “We worked together for about a year and then I went into higher education while he continued to manage the coffee shop for another seven years.”
Throughout those seven years, Jeff and Jess had two children together, but the feeling of wanting to open a shop of their own never went away.
“When we got married, we wanted to open our own shop and were looking into options, but it wasn’t feasible at that time. We noticed that Maroon Café had closed and were keeping an eye on it for the past few months. A for-rent sign went up in July and we jumped on it! On August 5th we signed the lease and now we’re putting together our dream café! It couldn’t have come at a better time, because I was due back to work in August. Now I will be able to care for my infant son River and four-year-old daughter Ruby while also helping out at the shop.”
Read More: Meet Hoboken’s Newest Coffee Shop, The Little Local
The goal right now is to open Joey No Nuts Café sometime in September. However, no official date has been announced. Even though the space hasn’t yet opened, Jess says the positive response from other locals has been immense.
“The positive response we’ve gotten from people in town is overwhelming! We hope to open our doors in September to coincide with the start of school,” Jess adds. “Jeff and I are looking forward to serving our community for many years to come!”
Are you excited to stop by Joey No Nuts Café for the first time? Let us know in the comments!
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