Barryville General expanding next door on Avenue A with a cafe

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy

Barryville General, which opened last December on Avenue A between Fourth Street and Fifth Street, is expanding into the storefront next door at 70 Avenue A. 

Co-owner Sean Naughton, an East Village resident for 32 years, said food and coffee have long been part of the Barryville General concept, though the Avenue A shop was its first location without either.

"We have always aspired to do it in the East Village," he said. 

The expansion will operate under the same name and connect to the existing shop through a pass-through, while also maintaining its own entrance.

The café will serve espresso from a local Cuban coffee company, along with baked goods and a simple grab-and-go menu featuring a few Cuban-inspired items. Plans also call for nondairy soft serve from Lavender and Truffles. 

Naughton said they spoke with neighboring Lucky Coffee, which opened this spring, before finalizing the menu and, out of respect, will not offer matcha. Instead, the new space will focus on espresso, café fare and soft serve. 

Barryville General is aiming for an August opening. The café is expected to open in the morning for coffee and pastries and remain open into the evening for soft serve. A to-go window is also under consideration.

The shop carries a curated selection of home goods, apparel (officially unisex, though it is predominantly menswear), and pantry items. 

Founded by a husband-and-wife team, Eric Komovoff and Sharone Komovoff, the East Village marked the store's second location, which opened upstate in Barryville and later relocated to Southampton.