Brooklyn coffee shop expands to Staten Island with multicultural menu

STATEN ISLAND, NY — Jenn Ocampo Kastanis moved to New York City from Miami almost a decade ago searching for the challenge, grit and resolve of the big city.

But she realized early on in her Brooklyn tenure that she missed the feeling of home.

“One of the biggest things in New York is you feel like nothing’s really like a home. I feel like everybody comes to New York for a reason,” the Bay Ridge resident shared. “If you’re transplant, I feel like a lot of people just need family or looking for that place that feels like it.”

This feeling led to the idea for Casita of Brooklyn, a local cafe where everyone knows your name, your story and your drink order. Ocampo Kastanis opened the first location with her husband, John Kastanis, in Park Slope, Brooklyn. There, the couple perfected the aesthetics of the home-like coffee shop.

“One of our slogans is, home is not a place, it’s a feeling. We want to embody that in every coffee shop that we’ve opened,” Ocampo Kastanis said. “I came from a fashion background, so I knew what I wanted. I ran with the aesthetics of the place. I wanted black and white themes. I wanted the gold trimmings.”

Casita of Brooklyn expands to Staten Island The popular Brooklyn-based coffee shop opened at 1456 Richmond Rd. in Dongan Hills in November, bringing its signature home-like atmosphere and multicultural menu to the borough.Advance/SILive | Nicolette CavallaroThe popular Brooklyn-based coffee shop opened at 1456 Richmond Rd. in Dongan Hills in November, bringing its signature home-like atmosphere and multicultural menu to the borough.Advance/SILive | Nicolette Cavallaro

While the couple expanded to a second Brooklyn location in Cobble Hill and plans to open another on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, Ocampo Kastanis set her eyes on Staten Island.

With help of friends who eventually became co-owners, a new, women-owned branch of the beloved coffee brand opened at 1456 Richmond Rd. in Dongan Hills in November.

“We came to see the spot, and it looked just like a little Casita. We wanted something that felt like home,” she said.

A month after the grand opening on Nov. 15, Ocampo Kastanis and one of her co-owners Nikoleta Apostolopoulos can still be seen working behind the bustling counter of Casita of Brooklyn, where chocolate croissants, banana nut muffins and teddy bear cookies are displayed for guests to choose from.

One of the aspects of home that is incorporated into the business is the owners’ cultures. The foods and baked goods served at the Staten Island branch feature a mix of Latin, Spanish and Greek touches, reflecting both Ocampo Kastanis’ and Apostolopoulos’ heritages.

“You’ll see empanadas, you’ll see the breakfast tacos. You’ll also see spanakopitas. We have a mix of them, and we have traditional pastries for everyone. So you have like a piece of everything here,” said Ocampo Kastanis. This location has allowed for more exploration into a combination of baked goods and pastries with their first in-house oven.

Additionally, Ocampo Kastanis has also included touches of her own family in their menu, even naming a brown sugar cinnamon latte “The Aviator,” after her father, who was a pilot for over 40 years.

The drink has become so synonymous with the brand, that customers at other locations continue to order it, even if it is no longer featured on the decorated chalkboard menu.

Currently, Casita of Brooklyn offers holiday treats, such as a gingerbread matcha, a winter bear latte and a fireside chai.

In the new year, Ocampo Kastanis hopes to continue to form her menu around the changing seasons, something she loves about New York. She also hopes to open up the location’s yard space in the warmer months, creating a space for Staten Islanders to host events and parties.

“The people of Staten Island have been so accepting of us,” she shared. “We’ve been building relationships and we have really just come together and are trying to make this a home for the community of Staten Island.”

Brooklyn coffee shop expands to Staten Island with multicultural menu

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