{"id":133408,"date":"2026-02-14T10:44:09","date_gmt":"2026-02-14T10:44:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/133408\/"},"modified":"2026-02-14T10:44:09","modified_gmt":"2026-02-14T10:44:09","slug":"cafe-carves-out-place-on-staten-island-coffee-scene-with-fresh-brews-handmade-syrups","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/133408\/","title":{"rendered":"Cafe carves out place on Staten Island coffee scene with fresh brews, handmade syrups"},"content":{"rendered":"

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.\u2014Three years in, Redemption Cafe on Forest Avenue is carving out its place in Staten Island\u2019s coffee scene with handmade syrups, fresh\u2011brewed coffee and a welcoming atmosphere that extends well beyond its faith\u2011based beginnings.<\/p>\n

The caf\u00e9 at 572 Forest Ave., once the Mustard Seed and, before that, a vape shop, is owned by Vincent Funaro with business partner Pierre Rueca, who leads the culinary side.<\/p>\n

\"RedemptionVincent Furnaro jumps in behind the counter to make a fresh-brewed espresso drink. Beans are roasted by Unique, a coffee importer on Richmond Terrace, also in West Brighton. (Advance\/SILive.com | Pamela Silvestri)<\/p>\n

\u201cRedemption Cafe has two meanings,\u201d Funaro said during a recent visit. \u201cA lot of us know each other from church, and the former name was the Mustard Seed. The idea was that from the mustard seed grows Redemption Cafe. Now we\u2019re here, and our mission is to redeem the coffee culture on Staten Island by giving excellent drinks, very delicious food, and a vibe you can\u2019t get anywhere else.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"RedemptionA cold brewed coffee with cream gets a burst of flavor from the syrup of the month\u2014peppercorn and pomegranate\u2014which has a bright, pleasant kick from the aromatic spice.(Advance\/SILive.com | Pamela Silvestri)<\/p>\n

Unlike chain coffee shops, Redemption Cafe brews each cup of regular coffee to order, a three-to-five-minute process that ensures freshness. The caf\u00e9 also makes all of its flavor syrups from scratch, including caramel, vanilla, cinnamon and pistachio. Seasonal flavors rotate monthly; raspberry peppercorn is currently featured.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of our main things is homemade flavors and syrups,\u201d Funaro said. \u201cIf you order a caramel latte, your caramel is made from scratch. Every drink has the same exact measurements. We\u2019re not rushing through drinks like a major chain would.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"RedemptionMuseli is a specialty of the house. Here it is arranged with cashews, almonds and pistachios plus fresh fruit and finished with naturally flavored wildflower honey. (Advance\/SILive.com | Pamela Silvestri)<\/p>\n

The food menu includes a signature take on the classic New York bacon, egg and cheese, featuring a cheese French omelette with cheddar, bacon and sriracha ketchup on a croissant. Customers can also choose sourdough or pumpernickel bread. The caf\u00e9 offers muesli topped with agave and fresh fruit, along with weekend sandwich specials.<\/p>\n

Redemption Cafe sources its beans from local roasters including Unique Roasters and Plaza House. The caf\u00e9 selects different beans for espresso drinks, hot coffee and cold brew. \u201cWe don\u2019t want to use the same bean for iced coffee as our hot coffee,\u201d Funaro said.<\/p>\n

\"RedemptionThe sign is a holdover from the former Mustard Seed Caf\u00e9, even as the shop now prides itself on welcoming a broad and diverse audience.(Advance\/SILive.com | Pamela Silvestri)<\/p>\n

Employee Serena Lau demonstrated the brewing process, explaining that each fresh brew steeps for several minutes before serving.<\/p>\n

The caf\u00e9\u2019s name reflects both its origins and its ethos.The owners met through church, but Funaro emphasized Funaro emphasized that the space is open to everyone. \u201cIt\u2019s not exclusively faith-based,\u201d he said. \u201cWe have people from all walks of life who come in and enjoy our stuff. We\u2019re very proud of the environment we\u2019ve created here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"RedemptionNancy Murphy is a familiar face at the caf\u00e9, greeting customers with a warm smile and an easy, welcoming spirit.(Advance\/SILive.com | Pamela Silvestri)<\/p>\n

Hot chocolate ranges from $5.25 to $5.75 depending on size, and the caf\u00e9 attracts customers from across Staten Island as well as Brooklyn and Manhattan.<\/p>\n

Viewers watching the Facebook Live broadcast recognized Nancy Murphy, a familiar face at the caf\u00e9. Murphy is an anchor of the space, greeting guests by name and, like Lau, appreciating the steady stream of repeat customers.<\/p>\n

From a mustard seed to a bustling caf\u00e9, Redemption is still growing\u2014and so is its community.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.\u2014Three years in, Redemption Cafe on Forest Avenue is carving out its place in Staten Island\u2019s…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":133409,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[39],"tags":[9,24,63,134,136,135],"class_list":{"0":"post-133408","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-staten-island","8":"tag-new-york","9":"tag-new-york-city","10":"tag-nyc","11":"tag-staten-island","12":"tag-staten-island-headlines","13":"tag-staten-island-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/133408","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=133408"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/133408\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/133409"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=133408"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=133408"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=133408"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}