New coffee and cocktail lounge opens in CT. ‘It’s a unique place that caters to everybody’
Coffee, local brews, and specialty cocktails in Connecticut.
This trifecta forms the combination for Yellow King Bristol, a new coffee bar in Bristol.
“It’s a unique place that caters to everybody. We have a passion for coffee, and after learning how to craft different types of coffee we added it to the bartending world,” said Rob Vitale who, along with co-owner Shama Khan, opened their second location at 67 Race St. in Bristol, next door to The Bristol Bazaar.
Yellow King also has a location at 920 South Colony St. in Wallingford.
“The success of our business the first year in Wallingford was something we didn’t expect. It exceeded expectations,” he said.
The new 700-square foot shop has a separate entrance and will be accessible through the Bazaar.
The 38-seat coffee shop will offer a diverse menu featuring coffee, beer, cocktails, and light bites.
“On weekends, you’ll see mom and dad come by with their kids, people can get a cup of coffee, dad can get a beer or a martini. We have specialty hot chocolates for the kids, too,” said Vitale. “But everything comes back to the coffee – we’re a coffee shop first. Everybody loves coffee, but our specialty is cold brews.”
The 12-page menu showcases 15 special cold brews with sauces and syrups made in-house. Flavored cold brews and lattes are shaken with specialty flavors to create extraordinary cocktails.
“It’s pretty fun. Other places don’t have that,” said Vitale.
A signature drink is the Nuzilla, a blend of Nutella, marshmallow sauce, and other ingredients. Most popular is Cookie Monster made of cookie butter topped with a blue foam.
Also known for its specialty martinis, the shop will have nine on the menu with three new Espresso martinis every season in addition to non-coffee cocktails, including four seasonal and 10 to 15 different spiked lemonades, teas, and a variety of margaritas. Beer is on the menu, with the shop kicking off with five local craft brews, including an IPA, a Pilsner, and a Stout.
“We never do anything that’s not in Connecticut. We’re always changing up our tap list to see what’s new out there and support new breweries.”
Recently, Vitale collaborated with Armada Brewing in New Haven on a new stout and with Litchfield Distillery created a specialty bourbon infused with Yellow King’s organic coffee beans for the base of a coffee old fashioned.
To complement the drinks, food is also available. Yellow King is known for its egg sandwiches, made fresh daily. A pastry case will be filled with local doughnuts and sweet treats. On the bar side is pizza from a local business and light bites, including hot pretzels, nachos, and buffalo bit sandwiches. Once settled in, there’s plans for trivia night, live music on the outdoor patio, and a collaboration with The Bristol Bazaar on group events.
More on the coffee
Coffee has always played an important part in Vitale’s life.
After he and Khan met while working at a grocery store and a well-known coffee chain, they embarked on a learning experience to hone their skills.
“We both had a love of coffee and wanted to learn more about it so I got a job at Willoughby’s Coffee and Tea in New Haven while working at their roasting plant in Branford. From there, we always talked about one day owning our own coffee company because the passion was there. We began roasting our own coffee and selling to local farmers markets and breweries,” said Vitale who noted he appreciated the atmosphere of breweries and how they offered less of a bar feel.
“I love coffee shops, but I wanted to be able to stay open later to cater to everyone.”
The rest is history and they opened their first brick-and-mortar cafe in 2021.
The coffee shop’s name was inspired by The King in Yellow, a book of late-1800 horror short stories by Robert W. Chambers.
“We both have this love for New England Goth horror. We put our own spin on it and made our own logo and character. It’s a pretty cool concept,” said Vitale, of the character that factors into the shop’s lounge-like, speakeasy feel.
A vibrant hand-painted purple and yellow mural on the exterior welcomes patrons.
Created by local artist Michael DeAngelo, it features the Yellow King logo, along with tentacles holding the shop’s name. Some of the interior details include dark wood-beamed ceilings, rope lights with vintage Edison bulbs, a sleek bar with a copper top and a galaxy mural on the bottom with LED lights. A 30-foot maple back bar, with a live edge that runs the length of the establishment, was custom-designed and made by Dusty Dude Woodworks of Bristol.
“We have some cool craftsmanship here. It doesn’t have a bar feel to it.”
A second hand-painted mural adorns an interior wall. “Our Yellow King character is kind of spilling a cup of coffee onto the bar. It’s pretty cool. We added a little bit of that artsy dynamic to our coffee shops over what you’d get in a normal coffee shop,” said Vitale who will feature different local artists every month.
The location of the Bristol location came about when Carolyn Verikas, owner of The Bristol Bazaar, reached out to Vitale.
“The Bristol Bazaar’s core concept is to help small business owners grow their business. We’re here to act as a hub for anyone looking for a way to get connected to someone or another business without needing to use Google,” said Verikas.
“Yellow King is the final piece to the puzzle. When we created The Bristol Bazaar, we wanted to offer a three-part experience for customers: shopping small, the event/classroom space, and a place where folks can enjoy a coffee, coffee cocktail, or grab something to eat,” Verikas said. “Rob and Shama are supporters of the arts and as small business owners they truly fit right in with everything we’re working on here at the bazaar. We’re excited to have them here with us.”
Vitale appreciates Bristol’s vibe.
“Mayor Caggiano is really going out of his way to get small businesses to come to this town. We want to add something that they don’t have already,” said Vitale, who’s looking forward to a soft opening in January. “We’re very excited and anxious,” said Vitale. “To build something really nice, it takes time. It’s going to be incredible.”