ABOUT US
Soul Brew is a specialty coffee shop and eatery that serves specialty coffee, a full brunch menu and fresh pastries daily. We offer a sitting area at both locations or the option to grab something delicious to go! Soul Brew is dedicated to supporting local by brewing 100% organic fair trade coffee and tea from surrounding areas. Living up to our reputation as a star of the Long Island brunch scene, all food is cooked fresh to order. Each weekend, Soul Brew serves up new, creative and mouth-watering specials and we are known for never repeating the same one twice.
Recognized for our zany atmosphere with trippy murals and cozy vibes, Soul Brew is the spot to be for coffee with friends or brunch with the whole family. Come find out why Soul Brew is called the “nirvana” of the Long Island coffee scene — where we’re always serving up good music, smiles and everything yum! Let Soul Brew be your new favorite secret spot. Stay groovy, friends.
Kristin Walsh Lambros grew up obsessed with “playing store” in her childhood home. Her mother worked as a deli cook, so some of Kristin’s earliest memories involve stirring homefries on a milk crate as a four-year-old. She began waitressing at 15 and moved through delis and restaurants during her young adulthood, while growing her passion for food as a means of
connection.
Kristin worked in coffee through her college career, while holding tight to her vision of opening a coffee shop that would be the perfect blend of life’s simple joys: food, conversation, music, art and delicious coffee. She even backpacked through Europe and gathered inspiration, knowing that no dream was too big.
Kristin Walsh Lambros grew up obsessed with “playing store” in her childhood home. Her mother worked as a deli cook, so some of Kristin’s earliest memories involve stirring homefries on a milk crate as a four-year-old. She began waitressing at 15 and moved through delis and restaurants during her young adulthood, while growing her passion for food as a means of
connection.
Kristin worked in coffee through her college career, while holding tight to her vision of opening a coffee shop that would be the perfect blend of life’s simple joys: food, conversation, music, art and delicious coffee. She even backpacked through Europe and gathered inspiration, knowing that no dream was too big.
Jeff and Nikki Petrocelli — regulars at the coffeehouse Kristin managed — quickly bonded with the young visionary over her ambition: creating a coffee shop that nurtures the souls of her community. After a failed attempt to purchase the coffee shop that Kristin was working in, the Petrocellis stepped in to invest in Soul Brew — and in Kristin’s vision. Jeff became Kristin’s working partner in the business, which was quickly brewing. Kristin envisioned Soul Brew not just as a specialty coffee shop, but also as a third space that allows Long Islanders to leave their stressors at the door — a place for people to slow down, be together and smell the coffee.
Through twists and turns, setbacks and location fall-throughs, Kristin’s brainchild prevailed. In 2016, when Kristin was just 24, she opened Soul Brew’s doors in St. James, New York alongside her dedicated business partners, Jeff and Nikki. Intentionally named after Kristin’s favorite motto — “starve the ego, feed the soul” — Soul Brew quickly became a North Shore destination spot known for specialty coffee, a delicious brunch menu and kind faces behind the counter. Jeff, being business-savvy, developed the entrepreneurial side of Soul Brew, while Kristin brought her extraordinary creativity and coffee expertise to the ingenious pairing. As Soul Brew’s success grew, the business partners opened two more locations on Long Island: a Huntington storefront popped up in 2019 and Bellmore began brewing in 2021.
After nearly a decade in business, the Petrocellis have left Soul Brew as Jeff chases his own legacy: soaring to new heights. As a national flight champion on the US Advanced Aerobatic Team and co-host of aviation podcast “Fly Cool Shit,” Jeff made the jump to purchase Northeast Airpark in Shirley, New York, from his father and uncles. While Kristin knows that she, Jeff and Nikki will remain friends for life, this big step in Soul Brew’s history allows both founders to pursue new chapters. Kristin sees that this path is destined by fate and the beauty of good karma: Jeff helped Kristin bring her dream to fruition, so she knows good days are in store for him.
At 2 a.m. before the grand opening of Soul Brew St. James, Kristin stood in the middle of the empty coffee shop with her mother, Maria. As she looked around at the clean walls, filled with recently-purchased decor and shiny new coffee brewers, she felt a disconnect. Soul Brew lacked a vital element. Where is the character — the life — that her vision so clearly contained? Now, with Soul Brew approaching its 10-year anniversary, Kristin sees that vision before her eyes.
After years of customers donating photos and decorations, slowly collecting art from local creatives and employees adding personal touches to the walls, Soul Brew came alive as a home within the community. After all, Soul Brew exists as a reminder to stay true to what feeds your soul, even through life’s inherent struggles — then watch yourself flourish.
