Too Much Coffee? No Such Thing in Sag Harbor, Home of 10 Coffee Shops

Americans drink a lot of coffee — almost 150 billion cups per year — and Main Street in Sag Harbor has become a charming little microcosm of our raging national caffeine habit.

We don’t have the space or authority to unpack what that says about Sag Harbor and/or America, so let’s stick to the facts:

Summer 2023 brought several new ‘coffee outposts’ to the former whaling village’s commercial hub, upping the count to more than 10 locations on and around Main Street that pour an agreeable cup of retail Joe, and that’s not counting restaurants.

All of which leaves no doubt that Sag Harbor is the coffee capitol of the Hamptons.

And while all of Sag’s coffee places sling way more than just coffee, it’s fairly apparent that the drive to stay caffeinated is the common denominator behind the former whaling village’s thriving coffee-economy. That there’s no commercial coffee behemoth like Starbucks doesn’t hurt, either.

“When we first opened here it was already a crowded coffee market,” says Kyle Sanderson, who owns Grindstone Coffee and Donuts, which was established in 2015. “I’m a coffee nerd, so I love it. There’s a ton of competition, but there’s enough business to go around. I don’t what that says about us, but it’s such a strong niche market there’s room for everyone.”

That’s even more true if your non-coffee products can separate you from the pack, the way Grindstone is just as noted for its extremely popular brioche-style donuts made on the premises. He said that Grindstone even started making and selling its famous apple cider donuts earlier this season so that the summer crowd could get a taste of what locals have come to know and love as a fall treat.

According to Sanderson, since his customer traffic patterns have pretty much returned to pre-COVID levels, he’s noticed his loyal local customers magically start to re-appear post-Labor Day, almost like they’re avoiding having to wait on what can be a pretty deep line during the summer for one of life’s great comfort-combinations: coffee and a donut.

Increasing its presence hyper-locally, Grindstone opened an outpost in the Sag Harbor Cinema this summer, serving drip coffee and cold brew out of the theater’s lobby. And overall, things are going well enough for Sanderson that he’s planning to open a brand new Grindstone outpost on Race Lane in East Hampton Village this October.

Another “new” player on the Sag Harbor coffee scene this season is really an old one, Jack’s Stir Brew, which has six locations, including four in Manhattan and another in Amagansett. Ironically, Jack’s new location is right next door to two other popular Main Street coffee outposts: Goldberg’s, the Hamptons-area bagel maven, and the eclectic Sylvester & Co. Modern General store, which sells everything from art and furniture to artisanal cold brew and tabletop decor.

Sage & Madison is a relative newcomer to the coffee-club, located just a touch off Main in a 1797 property listed on the National Registry of Historic Places. In addition to being a quaint teahouse and cafe, it’s also an Insta-ready boutique filled with gift ideas, home goods and decor, and an array of must-see treasures from local artists and craftspeople.

Don’t forget about Sagtown Coffee, either, one of the original coffee-and-more outposts in town. Throw in Schiavoni’s, Provisions, and the Harbor Market, all of which will happily supply you with your java, and coffee lovers in Sag Harbor are truly spoiled for options.