by Mona Mahadevan The New Haven independent
You’ll soon be able to pair your Sunday cappuccino with a cabernet at The Coffee Pedaler, now that the Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) voted to restore the Upper State Street cafe’s tavern license.
That decision came out of the BZA’s latest monthly meeting Tuesday night, held in person at City Hall and online via Zoom.
The artisanal coffee shop at 605 East St. first received approval back in March 2020 to sell wine, fortified wine, beer, and hard cider up to 6 percent alcohol.
Ryan Taylor, who opened The Coffee Pedaler in October 2013, said he allowed the permit to lapse because he “had too much on [his] plate” and “not enough staffing” to cover evenings.
He returned to the second floor of City Hall Tuesday night to request that the BZA reissue the store’s tavern license.
Back in 2017, East Rock residents were not on board with Taylor’s request, arguing that beer and wine sales would be disruptive to the neighborhood.
This time around, the public spoke in support: Ben Trachten, a local attorney speaking in his capacity as a city resident, told the board that The Coffee Pedaler sells “some of the best coffee in town” and that he “hope[s]” they grant the license.
Taylor’s girlfriend Samantha Gettings also spoke in favor of the proposal, asking the board to trust that Taylor would be a responsible vendor of alcohol.
“I’ve known him for 20 years,” she said. Since she started working alongside Taylor at The Coffee Pedaler, she added, she has been impressed by his work ethic and generosity, especially with charities like North Haven’s Halfway Home Rescue.
The board then closed public discussion and moved to reissue the cafe’s tavern license with restrictions on its hours: specifically, only allowing operations from 6 a.m. to 11:30 p.m., matching other businesses nearby.
Taylor noted that he plans to close before 11:30 p.m. and does not plan to open earlier than 8 a.m.
He told the Independent that he plans to sell beer and wine, “mainly natural wine,” and focus more on weekend brunch than evening hours.
He also expects to add evening hours over time, beginning with Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.
“It will be a gradual build for us,” he said, “but we’ve been busy on the coffee end, so we’ll just slowly let things grow in the direction that guests seem keen on.”
The Coffee Pedaler, at 605 East St.
The Board of Zoning Appeals decides in favor of Taylor’s request.