Dec. 27, 2016 By Christian Murray
A long-time Sunnyside resident whose family own coffee and cocoa farms in Colombia and Ecuador opened his own café on Greenpoint Avenue with the help of his wife in August.
The owner, known by most as William, has lived in the neighborhood for 22 years and opened Coffee Tossy at 42-14 Greenpoint Avenue after years of planning. He said he had wanted to open a café in Sunnyside since 2005 but was unable to find the right location.
William, who was born in Ecuador and moved to the US when he was 14, has a background in construction and built Coffee Tossy’s interior largely out of reclaimed timber that he received from friends in Brooklyn.
He has added other interior touches. Traditional Panama hats adorn the walls as well as large pictures of coffee plantations. He has put up timber shelves toward the back of the cafe, which have been stacked with books.
The café seats about 35 customers and is fitted with several power outlets and there is Wi-Fi.
42-14 Greenpoint Ave.
The café serves coffee, tea, gelato, home-made chocolate and a wide selection of baked goods. He is about to start offering yogurt, soup, salads, croissants and sandwiches.
“I want people to come here and relax,” he said. “I want them to enjoy coffee offered by my family; including the coffee that comes from my family’s farm.”
William said the coffee is grown without the use of chemicals.
The cafe has a 10 pound roaster on site so William can roast the coffee when it is shipped in. He is also making chocolate from the cocoa that his relatives are also sending him. Some of the baked goods will be infused with his chocolate.
He said that he has been impressed by the positive changes in the neighborhood in recent years. He said that Thomas Noonan Playground, which his cafe is across from, used to be in poor condition but is now being better cared for. “Something good is happening.”
He said that there is a yearning for traditional coffee within the neighborhood as opposed to fast-food type chains.
While the coffee is currently being shipped from his family, William said that he is working with a coffee distributor to supply him with coffee from around the world. He said he wants to provide his customers with options.
William said he has ambitious plans to grow his enterprise. He said he will be opening another coffee shop in Bayshore, Long Island, soon.
Note: Coffee Tossy is an advertiser of the Sunnyside Post
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41 Comments
I gave just returned from.Sunnyside after spending Christmas with my daughter and found this fabulous coffee shop on our doorstep, went for breakfast few mornings and found the place so relaxing, fabulous coffee, fabulous staff andout watering homemade food. On one occasion my phone was dead and a member of staff called us a cab to get to the city without any bother at all.glad I am getting the chance to say thanks here. Continued success folks. We will be back to visit you on next visit to Queens.
I like the delicious chocolate pudding. Mmmmmmmmm!
What a arrogant person
Great question !!!
Omg!!!! No poor people here. First time i ever heard someone bias against the poor. Thats some policy
Really? No poor people allowed, real nice. Most businesses take anyones money, but if your broke or struggling your not allowed here.
Is this a real comment? The word “poor” in the article is used to describe the previous condition of the adjacent park, not people. A comment section is not a real source of information.
Donal trump you must own this coffee dump. Judging by your comments you keep defending this place with incredibly delusional remarks. Let me ask you, what are you drinking? Its definitely not coffee.1950 movie theater? They neighborhood is crap over there, tossy is a stupid name, usda? Because you say so? Money, your not poor people? FU and your coffee, you have been outed donal trump, or should i say william, or mr tossy
Good luck William. I look forward to coming to your new place. It looks like a nice addition to the neighborhood.
And don’t listen to the negative posts.
I wonder if the coffee and cocoa being imported from the family plantations are following the strict import guidelines for these agricultural products.
http://www.shipit.com/archives/2016/09/11/how-to-ship-and-import-cocoa-beans-to-the-usa/
https://www.flexport.com/learn/how-to-import-coffee-into-the-united-states/
Henry ! don’t worry all is controlled by USDA! Now I’m wondering what are you drinking ?
He better be selling Colombias other #1 import or he’ll be closed before he knows it. He’ll be having a go fund me like the woman on Roosevelt
Sorry not poor people !
Thats because early riser is one of the customers who buys a cup of coffee and suts there all day fir the big $2.50 he spent
Starbucks CEO was famous for saying the company didn’t keep track of how long people stayed and people were welcome to stay as long as they wanted, in response to managers in NY stores who considered removing electrical outlets.
Not as stupid as early riser. Another dumb person with no business sense
I’m shocked at all of the positive responses to this post. It’s a christmas miracle!
In case you missed the other blog post about this cafe here’s the like to the first article http://sunnysidepost.com/sunnysidecoffeetossy
Very much looking forward to trying it- best of luck!
The place looks good. My friends like it except for the silly sounding name.
2 years tops
The place is always dead terrible location they spent a couple hundred thousand to fix it up and have a $10 shitty sign above real classy.
Maybe they are waiting for a permit to do the sign.
Go spend some $ there so they can put up the classy sign
permits are issues the same day for signs
Real Tossy
I know Rich and he drinks instant coffee. No class!
I would love to visit that place. However it has unfrendly for strollers and wheelchairs entrance. It is impossible to get inside. Please fix it
Take your stroller and bratty kid to Starbucks and breastfeed there.
Hi Rich. Real classy is not a sign. What make classy is monzart ! Bethoven and the fifht symphony! This is classy. Welcome to sunnyside! Dead Location? where do you live? Are you from sunnyside? This place was famous. There was a theater on the 1950 do you know that? Educated yourself, open your mind, know your Neighborhood! Do you know why this place was called “sunnyside”? Welcome to sunnyside!
Excellent!
Love this place! Friendly people and wonderful coffee.
This place has some amazing coffee, they offer Almond milk, soy milk and coconut milk. They also have cold brewed coffee.
Shame for william hes going to realize look at all these people taking 3hrs to drink one coffee and use the wifi? How am i going to make next months rent?
95% of coffee shop customers buy a something and leave and only a small % stay. The big chains know this and like the people who stay because it adds a human spirit to it. Don’t worry some much about how they will pay rent they will surely get a lot if take out business.
Hi anonymous! do you know what is Tossy ? that’s soooooooooo tossy!
#street #tossy #stylish #skill #technique #look. aquired taste! Unique! The best ! Why you worry about the people using the 3hours wifi! This is the best place In sunnyside for real coffee lovers ! Are you? No you don’t ! But you can joint us there to have a cup of water ! Remember not poor people allowed! We are sunnyside, high class people and educated people ! I’M TOSSY ” from sunnyside!
Shame on you! Sunnyside is a mixed neighborhood, “not a high class” is mostly a hard worker and yes a lot of poor people that loves coffee, I don’t think William needs this kind of advertising. Good for you William, i am a POOR, hard worker ecuadoriam that loves coffee and most if is from my country.
He’s making fun of Donald Trump, dont’ take it personally 🙂
Are you sure?
Your obviously a high classless racsist ass hole, trying to pass as a human.
Donal Trump….I don’t mind if you perceive yourself as high class, but if you’re going to also add in educated, please do yourself a favor and make sure you proofread what you type. For example, “you can joint us there” or “Remember not poor people”; did you mean “join” and “no”. Sunnyside is becoming the great melting pot that Manhattan used to be. Please don’t ruin it with you false sense of entitlement. Based on what you typed, you are not high class.
Coffee Tossy is delicious. And friendly service too! Great addition to the neighborhood!