Gregorys Coffee, the New York chain known for its quirky drink names like “Fall Oat Boy” and “Hall and Oats,” is making its first foray into the Bay Area. The new coffee shops are opening in two Bay Area malls: Palo Alto’s Stanford Shopping Center and Milpitas’ Great Mall, reported KRON-TV.
The Palo Alto Gregorys is slated to open Jan. 15 in a former Starbucks, according to Palo Alto Online; doors are expected to open at the Milpitas shop on Jan. 31, according to the Great Mall website. Founded in Manhattan in 2006 by Gregory Zamfotis, Gregorys Coffee will soon have nearly 50 stores nationwide. The chain has already expanded to Southern California with locations in Orange County and San Bernardino County.
Gregorys is known for its vegan offerings and doesn’t charge extra for alternative milks. The chain calls its regulars, “Gregulars.”
“We like to have silly names and goofy stuff like that on our menu because we think it’s fun and part of our brand DNA,” René Puerta, director of marketing for Gregorys Coffee, told Palo Alto Online.
Most of Gregorys’ beans are sourced from Brazil, Guatemala, and other Central and South American countries and then roasted at its facility in New York’s Long Island City, according to the outlet. The chain offers seasonal specialty coffee drinks like gingerbread lattes and a concoction called the Biscotti Testarossa, a latte with hazelnut and almond. Smoothies, pastries, breakfast sandwiches and other grab-and-go food items are also on the menu.
