JB's Coffee & Kitchen fills niche on Grand Island

By Senior Contributing Writer Karen Carr Keefe

When Patrick Antonelli opened his JB’s Coffee & Kitchen on Aug. 13, he did it to fill a need he felt other Grand Island eateries weren’t addressing.

“A ‘scratch kitchen’ you can walk up to,” is how he described that niche.

“I noticed that there was a hole. There’s no local coffee shop. There’s the three chains on Grand Island – and there’s no quick breakfast.”

Antonelli said he wanted to fill that gap with “a premium offering” that would include coffee that is ground to order and food that is cooked to order.

Now, the aroma of sausage, burger blend and hash browns greets customers beyond the front door at 2092 Grand Island Blvd.

“These and sauces, syrups and lemonade are all made in the restaurant,” Antonelli said.

The breakfast sausage and the smashburgers served are ground and seasoned in house.

Gluten-free options

“We also take gluten-free and vegan seriously, with a dedicated fryer and toaster and a real option in every section, so a family with one restriction can all eat at the same table without leaving the Island,” Antonelli said. “Every single sandwich on my menu can be made gluten-free by just substituting the bread.

"Offsite, our gluten-free and vegan bakery comes from Fig Tree Patisserie” in Buffalo.

Hours and favorites

JB’s Coffee & Kitchen is open from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday through Monday. Starting Oct. 20, the restaurant will add Tuesdays.

“We'll see how the island responds before we look at Wednesdays,” Antonelli said.

There’s counter service, with a full menu all day.

The breakfast hours see a busy stream of commuters, many of whom will order online in advance, so they can grab the breakfast goodies and get over the bridge to their workday.

“The Island has been good to us. Mornings are busy, and we learn something every week,” Antonelli said.

Taste is the heart of the business, and Antonelli said customers have made their favorites known.

 “The sausage, egg and cheese is the workhorse; the California wrap surprised us; the hot honey cutlet now has a cult-like following; and the beef on weck is the one people drive over for,” he said.

Antonelli noted, “The beef on weck starts with top round cooked overnight, shaved to order, on a kimmelweck roll we finish ourselves.”

Sourcing from local

Other owners and vendors have been generous, Antonelli said.

“We buy from neighbors wherever we can: The Little Bee Bread Co., Aura Juicery, Merle Maple, Cassorla’s Bagels, Sourdough By Amanda. Our coffee is a custom espresso blend from Tipico in Buffalo. Teas come from Cup of Communitea in Williamsville,” he said.

Antonelli is most proud of the fact that he and his staff stuck to the high standards they set and didn’t cut corners.

“Yes, it would have been easier to buy everything frozen and just heat and serve. But that's not who I am, and not what I want to be known for. We want everything to be made fresh, and made better,” he said.

“The response has been great. It’s actually more than I thought it was going to be,” Antonelli said of his new venture. “That first week, I sold out of everything by 10 a.m.”

Knowing customers by name

Although he’s a young entrepreneur, Antonelli has years of experience.

“I spent 18 years at Adrian’s (Custard & Beef) with my mother,” he said. “That’s where I learned that how you treat people matters more than anything on the menu. JB’s is its own place with its own food, but knowing your customers by name came with me.”

Antonelli has about 25 on his team on site. His manager is Nadia Ammerman.

“She has taken a lot off my plate so I can be more creative,” he said.

Family is key

Antonelli is a longtime businessman, but he’s also a family man who likes the 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. work schedule.

“I deliberately chose these hours so I could be home for dinner and bedtime with the kids every night,” he said. “My wife and I have two kids. Juliette is 2 and Bennett is 1. They’re growing up on the same Island I did, and there's something special about that.”

The name JB’s stands for Juliette and Bennett.

“I wanted JB’s to be part of their Grand Island story the same way Adrian’s was part of mine, and to build something they can point to one day and know their dad built it for them and for this community,” Antonelli said. “A legacy for my kids, and a home for Grand Island."

Contact info

The menu, online ordering and loyalty information are at www.jbscoffeekitchen.com. Find the eatery on Facebook. Online and call-ahead ordering are available at 716-775-5533.