Three Coffee Shops to Visit in Rhode Island

EAST

The Beehive Cafe also offers baked goods like cookies, banana bread and scones. Photo by Edelinda Baptista.

The Beehive Cafe
Mother and daughter duo Sherry and Emily Scott bought the Beehive Cafe in Bristol on October 7 of last year, a time when they’d been looking to start their own business. After the previous owners, Jen and Chip Cavallaro, made their decision to retire and sell the joint, Sherry and Emily rose to the occasion.
“It was very serendipitous,” says Emily Scott, who’d been an employee at the cafe since she was fourteen years old. “It worked out very well; it was a very smooth transition.”

The sister business, the Beehive Pantry, functions as a grab-and-go bakery as opposed to casual sit-down meals at the cafe. In a hurry? Classic coffee and tea beverages as well as specialty drinks and smoothies can be found here. Every food item, from baked goods and morning pastries to bread used for the sandwiches, is made and prepared at the pantry then delivered to the cafe at 5:30 a.m. by John Scott, Sherry’s husband and Emily’s dad.

Bristol, with its tight-knit community, makes a great home for an establishment like this, Emily says. “Bristol is very involved, everyone loves to support local business,” she says. “In the summer, I always refer to Bristol as the smaller Newport; we get a lot of tourists. I also feel like I’ve worked here for so long I practically know every customer that walks through the door. I really like that part about it.”

Ever since the crew reopened up shop, they’ve been sourcing beans from New Harvest Coffee Roasters. They complete every coffee order by hand; grinding out the espresso, tamping it, stopping the machines and more. “Most espresso machines nowadays are automatic so they stop themselves, because they dose out the proper amount of espresso,” Emily says, “So that’s one big thing we do that a lot of places don’t do themselves.”

Beehive offers an assortment of indulgent pastries or breakfast bites to pair with coffee orders, whether you like it hot and bitter or iced and sweet.

“Anything pairs really well with coffee, it’s about finding the proper drink to pair with,” advises Emily. “It can be something as simple as a breakfast item with a regular hot coffee, like a scone or cinnamon bun, or it can be something more complicated like a cappuccino or a latte with eggs and toast.”

It’s all about what the customer is looking for, and they have plenty of options to choose from at the cafe and pantry. The choices compound when you consider the cocktail menu (Beemosa, anyone?) as well as signature drinks.

“That’s what’s fun about coffee,” Emily says. “You get to pick how you want it.”

From their signature drinks list, the Honey Pot drink, served with espresso, milk and honey, attracts a lot of customers. Same with the Iced Biscotti, also sweet and served with espresso, hazelnut, milk, mocha, whipped cream and crushed biscotti. Other options include the Choco-Banana Buzz, Worker Bee and Razzle Dazzle.

Keep on the lookout for the Hot Date Dessert Nights come Valentine’s Day, with special dessert orders and craft cocktails for you and your significant other or friends to enjoy.

Hours for the Beehive Cafe are Sunday through Wednesday 7 a.m.–4 p.m. and Thursday through Saturday 7 a.m.–8 p.m.; hours for the Beehive Pantry are Monday through Friday 7 a.m.–6 p.m., Saturday 7 a.m.–4 p.m. and Sunday 7 a.m.–2 p.m. 10 Franklin Ave., Bristol, 396-9994, thebeehivecafe.com; 87 Gooding Ave., Bristol, 396-9060, thebeehivepantry.com