Popular Massachusetts coffee shop comes to East Lyme

East Lyme — Pia Rogers says she's always trying to keep ahead of the trends in coffee. The owner and founder of Sturbridge Coffee House in Sturbridge Mass., Rogers travels the world looking for inspiration for her business. She said she tries as many coffee shops as she can, researches how other established restaurants run their business and looks to TikTok videos for ideas. This strategy has led her to grow her business over the past 20 years and now expand to a new location at 51 Boston Post Road. "I do tons of research. I think a true foodie has a good business so I travel literally the world for different ideas and am always trying new things. I love seeing what other places do and am inspired by so many different places. I watch so much TikTok it's ridiculous. I just love coffee, so it's really fun for me," Rogers said. Her Mini Sturbridge Coffee House, located off Exit 75 of Interstate 95 in the Noble Gas Station Plaza, is having a soft opening for the next week and half. It will then be open daily from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. The shop features a variety of items including hot and iced coffee, lattes, macha, boba, açai bowls, sandwiches, baked goods and around 40 sweetened coffee syrup flavors. Rogers first became interested in the coffee business after visiting her mom's workplace, Red Barn Coffee Roasters, in Massachusetts. She said she wasn't into coffee at the time but was amazed at the amount of business it created. This inspired her to open up her own coffee shop in Sturbridge in 2007, when she moved to central Massachusetts with her husband. "I'd go visit her at the 300-square-foot building, and people were waiting in line. I was like, "What is this?" And she said "People love their coffee." So when we moved, I said I was going to open a coffee shop, and my husband said "Well everybody wants to own a coffee shop." But it just took off from there. I've been doing it almost 20 years now. I'm addicted. I love my lattes. I love my flavored coffee. I love to try it and experiment," Rogers said. Today, Rogers said she has lines out the door that wrap around the building and has grown a social media following. In addition to her original location, she has another Mini Sturbridge Coffee House, also in Sturbridge, that opened last year. Following the East Lyme opening, she plans to open at two Noble gas station locations in Hamden and Orange. Between running multiple locations and researching new ideas, Rogers said she is always busy. "That's all I do. Eat, think, and work," Rogers said. A Unique Type of Coffee Rogers said some things she thinks make her business stand out from other coffee shops are its unique drink options and connection to the community. Every month the shop features a special shaken expresso flavor made with a drink shaker. July's flavor is the Great Bambino, inspired by the Baby Ruth candy bar. The drink features oat milk, caramel and hazelnut shaken espresso and is topped with chocolate cold foam and roasted peanut dust. The shop also has many boba flavors, including Thai tea, cappuccino, taro, mango, strawberry, honeydew and banana. Rogers went to boba school in Queens, N.Y., to learn how to make boba and incorporate it into her business. The shop also sells its own canned coffee drinks. "If you're going to the beach and want to bring a couple lattes, you can just pack it without ice. When I go on vacation, I am so sick of trying coffee that I don't like, I bring a four-pack with me," Rogers said. She said building connections with the community is just as important to her as serving coffee. Police officers, firefighters, EMTs, active military members and veterans receive free coffee and tea, a program that Rogers said resulted in about 14,000 free drinks being given away at its Massachusetts locations. "We're looking to build community here," Rogers said. "We want to connect with local businesses and connect with locals." Rogers said she also partners with school nurses in Massachusetts to help 200 families during the holidays by providing Christmas gifts for children in need. As the shop becomes established in the area, Rogers hopes to build similar partnerships with local schools and organizations. During Christmastime, the business plans to host a giving tree and work with local foster care system to support children during Christmas. "We welcome people to come forward," Rogers said. "We would love to help, especially the local school system." As people come in for the first time, Rogers asked that customers give them a little grace as employees are still in training. The staff is made up of local high school and college students and few full-timers. g.salisbury@theday.com