AMENIA — After an extensive renovation, Bean Bank Coffee has transformed the former Bank of Millbrook branch at Freshtown Plaza into a coffee shop and bakery serving Amenia and the surrounding community.
The business began its gradual opening Monday, Aug. 24, serving coffee and tea through its drive-through window and drawing curiosity from passersby. By Monday, Sept. 7, Bean Bank Coffee was fully open for business.
Community involvement is central to the shop’s mission, owners Amy and Dave Cocheo said during an interview Tuesday, Sept. 8.
“We will always be interested in community involvement,” Dave Cocheo said. He emphasized the importance of learning about the area’s history and working with local organizations while building a stable customer base. Through the business, he hopes to support the work of a variety of local groups.
Amy Cocheo’s interest in coffee, brewing and baking began with her grandmother, Mary, who taught her the craft.
“She fell in love with it,” Dave Cocheo said, adding that the family also includes a chef. An interest in baking spread through the family.
Having moved to Millerton a year ago, both saw the vacant bank branch building as a possibility, Cocheo said, crediting the 2025 Planning Board’s online survey results for sparking the idea of opening a bakery at the location. The survey report had cited a bakery as the top need in the town.
“We thought people might really enjoy having our bakery and at the same time we would get to do what we enjoy doing,” Cocheo said.
“It’s been busy,” Cocheo said of the new business. As fall approaches, the shop will offer even more coffee options, including pumpkin spice, and will begin making “steamers.” Steamers are steamed milk with assorted flavors. The winter season will also feature more tea varieties.
Current offerings include a selection of pastries as an accompaniment to different types of espresso, lattes, and hot and iced coffee. Coffee is sourced from Peak’s in Syracuse, and the teas are Harney’s.
Bean Bank Coffee is open Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Saturday, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. The shop is closed on Sunday. For more information visit, www.beanbankamenia.com.
Bean Bank Coffee is now open at Freshtown Plaza, offering drive-through service with a selection of pastries, coffee and tea.Photo by Leila Hawken
Emergency responders gather near St. Johns Ledges in Kent on Thursday, Sept. 10, after a 30-year-old rock climber fell to his death.Photo by Graham Corrigan
