A DECADE OF JITTERBUS
WHAT BEGAN AS A CRAVING FOR COFFEE AND FREEDOM FROM THE PURGATORY OF THE SERVICE INDUSTRY BECAME THE JITTERBUS, A FULL-SERVICE MOBILE CAFE.
Image Courtesy of @jitterbuscoffee
With an impromptu bus build that started in 2015, and a launch party on Chapel Street only a year later, the Jitterbus has now celebrated 10 years as a staple for New Haven Javaphiles.
Originally, a passing thought born out of the exhaustion from skating on a hot summer day, Paul Crosby wondered about the potential of a mobile coffee shop. After suggesting the idea to his longtime friends and fellow baristas at the time, Dan Barletta and Andrew Mesiouris began researching. With no prior experience in plumbing, carpentry, or electrical work, the three turned to the Internet to learn everything they needed to know to bring the bus and their vision to life.
Here they are, 10 years later, staying true to their promise to source local, “above fair trade” coffee. The Jitterbus stands now at the corner of Hill House Avenue and Grove Street, Mondays through Fridays, and at CitySeed’s Wooster Square Farmers Market every Saturday.
Photos by @Junglexjulia
Now 2 years into ownership of their storefront at 847 Grand Ave, the Jitterbus has grown significantly since their days of selling lattes out of Crosby’s apartment a decade ago.
Beyond perfecting the dirty chai, the owners of the Jitterbus set a great precedent for community outreach. Local artists and zine work cover the walls, and they speak highly of their shared community and the members who built it.
Photos by @Junglexjulia
“When you’re genuinely working with the people in your city, more people want to support & work with you”
The sentiment is more than just words, just last year having hosted a fundraiser for fellow baristas, put out by the closure of Science Parks Fussy Coffee.
At least once a month, the cafe hosts shows with musicians traveling from as far as Canada to share their work.
Barletta emphasized the importance of having a space available to host live shows, since many of the more accessible ones have closed down.
Their main goal is to continue their legacy as a place for people of all walks of life to come together to share their affection for caffeine.
