Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy
Mary O'Halloran, proprietor of Mary O's on Avenue A, is opening a scone shop at 93 E. Seventh St., just east of First Avenue, later this month.
Mary O's Irish Soda Bread Shop: Scones To Go will feature O'Halloran's specialty that she started making and selling by the box during the pandemic.
The scones became a big hit, helped by Roger Clark's visibility at NY1 and a hugely successful fundraising effort via Brandon Stanton of Humans of New York.
The new shop's main attraction is soda bread scones, which she makes from her mother's recipe in Ireland and serves with jam. She's also offering coffee via Superlost in Brooklyn.
"A lot of effort went into selecting the right coffee to go with the scones," she explained the other day. "This coffee doesn't need sugar to taste good. And it's roasted in NYC. The coffee complements the scone."
The shop will initially be weekends-only, opening by 7 a.m. and going until they're gone.
"Every scone is made by me. My hands. And because I make each one, there is a limited amount available," O'Halloran said. "So when they sell out, they sell out."
Her scone shop team includes Alan Chiang, "assistant scone master," Cara O'Halloran, one of Mary's daughters, and Meredith Franks, "assistant scone mistress."
O'Halloran has six kids, all familiar faces at her Avenue A restaurant.
"It wouldn't be a Mary O's spot without a kid in it," she said with a laugh.
Mary and her team were conducting a training session when I stopped by.
This space was most recently 75 Degrees Bakery...
Meanwhile, Mary O's will continue as it has for the past 14 years at 32 Avenue A between Second Street and Third Street, where scones will still be available.
Previously on EV Grieve:
