Tags Posts tagged with "Level Up Kitchen Library Café"

Level Up Kitchen Library Café

Photo by Abigail Choi/ Councilmember Kornreich's office

The delicious aroma of fresh coffee filled the air as Emma S. Clark Memorial Library in Setauket held a ribbon cutting for its new Level Up Kitchen Library Café on Jan. 7. 

Library board members and staff, Level Up Kitchen Library Café owner Chelsea Gomez, Town of Brookhaven Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich, architect John Cunniffe, and Thomas Pirraglia of Urban Village Contracting, Inc., were all in attendance.

Library Director Ted Gutmann thanked everyone involved in the entire three-part construction project.”We stayed open the whole time [during construction]. We didn’t have to close…[the cafe] has been open now a few weeks, and it’s been very popular with our patrons.” 

“Seeing the library evolve and meeting the changing needs of the community is very heartening, and this place continues to be very relevant and continues to be the absolute heart of this area,” said Councilmember Kornreich.

Library patrons will be able to grab a quick snack on-the-go, or stay for a bite to eat and enjoy a more leisurely experience at the library in the new, indoor seating area adjacent to the historic 1892 reading room. Café customers will also have access to the outdoor seating terrace, which opened in August 2022 and looks out over the library’s beautifully landscaped grounds and the historic Setauket Village Green.

The extensive menu features soup of the day, wraps, grilled cheese, frittatas, bagels, croissants, and rolls as well as scones, cookies, brownies and cakes. Drinks include hot and iced coffee, hot and iced tea, hot cocoa and more with many nut-free, gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan options.

Pictured at the ribbon cutting, from left, are Joan Kahnhauser (Head Adult Services Librarian), Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich, Chelsea Gomez (Level Up Kitchen Library Café owner), Angeline Yeo-Judex (Library Board Member), Ted Gutmann (Library Director), Anthony M. Parlatore (Library Board Member), Suzanne Shane (Library Board Secretary), Linda Josephs (Library Board Member), John Cunniffe (Architect), Linda Pirraglia, Thomas Pirraglia (Urban Village Contracting), and Lisa DeVerna (Library Marketing & Communications Manager).

Operating hours for the café are Mondays  to  Fridays from 9:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.; Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For more information, please call 631-941-4080 or visit www.emmaclark.org/cafe/.

Chelsea Gomez, a Three Village native and chef, is ready to serve patrons at the newly unveiled Level Up Kitchen Library Café at Emma S. Clark Memorial Library. Photo courtesy Emma S. Clark Memorial Library

Emma S. Clark Memorial Library has unveiled its new café, the much-anticipated final phase in a construction project announced in 2021. It includes the café, a new outdoor terrace and better flow for the library’s main reading room.

This two-year undertaking is helping to make the library even more of a community center than before, inviting those to come and stay while meeting the various needs of the library’s constituents.

The café, now open to the public, is run by Level Up Kitchen, a local business selected from a pool of candidates to be the food and beverage vendor, as was publicized by the library in May.

Owned and operated by Three Village native and chef Chelsea Gomez, Level Up Kitchen Library Café promises fresh coffee and healthy, handcrafted fare that meets various dietary needs. The menu includes nut-free, gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan items, avoiding cross-contamination with allergens. 

Gomez places importance on sustainability, working with local farms and purveyors where possible to stimulate the local economy and provide the freshest, highest-quality ingredients. Gomez possesses extensive food safety knowledge, and all her employees are Suffolk County Department of Health-certified food managers.

In addition to the outdoor terrace, which opened last summer, a new indoor seating area was added adjacent to the café. Architect John Cunniffe, a Stony Brook resident with experience in preserving historical accuracy, ensured that the café and seating area showed architectural sensitivity to the historic section with the same refined feel.

Urban Village Contracting, a local company, executed the construction. The library completed the entire construction project without closing for its patrons.

A café is a very popular addition among today’s libraries. It allows for more flexibility and options for the public to visit the library more often and extend their stay.

The library is not solely a building full of books but a place where individuals or groups may leisurely enjoy the beautiful space. Those studying or working may now take a break for a quick snack or meal without having to leave the library.

Before or after a library program, attendees may have something to eat or drink. Those who live or work in the neighborhood may stop in to grab a coffee or a bite to eat. Friends may meet at the library for coffee or a meal and browse books together. The café enhances that welcoming feel and accommodates those who want to stay longer.

This “new” Emma Clark Library is not so much a transformation as a rejuvenation of the library, staying true to its historic roots while accommodating its 21st-century constituency. The library’s Board of Trustees and staff are thrilled to offer these improvements to the community here in Three Village.