Steam Coffee Bar Opening at Greens Farms Station in Westport

[UPDATE: This restaurant is now closed] It’s full steam ahead for Briana Pennell and Chris Barrett, who are eagerly awaiting the arrival of their La Marzocco espresso machine, as they plan the opening of their first location of Steam Coffee Bar at Greens Farms Train Station at the end of the month.

Steam will exclusively brew the locally renowned Raus Coffee and take iced coffee to a new level, serving drinks such as “Cold Roman, Roman Navel and Roman Kiss.” The new shop will also serve Arogya tea, an organic tea vendor based in Westport, and a variety of local baked goods and breakfast items from the area, including several gluten-free choices. Fresh-pressed, organic juices from The Stand and local Connecticut milk from The Farmer’s Cow are among the other area favorites on the menu.

“We pride ourselves on using only the freshest ingredients and highest quality products,” said Pennell. “We love supporting the small business community and we’re very excited about sharing the best of what’s around locally with the commuters and our neighbors in the Green's Farms area.”

Located adjacent to the New York-bound platform, Steam will fulfill the town’s goal of creating a coffee shop that “will enhance the commuter experience.” Pennell and Barrett won the contract with the leading bid in response to the town’s request-for-proposals issued last December.

The new coffee bar is part of a larger renovation of the Greens Farms Station, which began in May and includes a new heating and cooling system, new hard wood flooring and other updates.

“The renovations are meant to reflect the station's historic value and maintain the character of the building, while providing a better commuter experience with amenities such as Steam,” said Deputy Police Chief Foti Koskinas, who is also the town’s director of railroad operations.

Barrett added, “We look forward to getting to know all of the commuters at the Green’s Farms Station. We are in a unique setting that we can embrace and we’re very excited about serving the community.”

In addition to the Greens Farms location, Steam plans to open a second location at the New Haven-bound station house at Westport’s Metro-North railroad stop in Saugatuck this fall.

Pennell explained that Donny Raus, who founded Raus Coffee in 2007, will bring his counseling and support in developing both locations. “Donny has a lot of support and following at the local farmer’s markets and we are very excited to offer his coffee. His knowledge of the product and the industry has given us an incredible support system throughout this process and we are lucky to have him on our team.”