Megan Coppola, owner of Beans and Leaves Coffee and Tea Cafe, spreads joy across Staten Island every day in the form of specialty coffees, funky waffles and a big, bright smile when you walk in the door of her cozy haven. <\/p>\n
A native Staten Islander and lifelong West Brighton resident, Coppola has been involved in the Forest Avenue business district since she was just 16, when she began working for the former Coffee and Tea Market, previously located at 422 Forest Ave. For six years, Coppola worked as a barista at Coffee and Tea Market while she finished high school at Notre Dame Academy and continued on to college at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), where she majored in Display and Exhibit Design and Fabric Styling.<\/p>\n
\u201cI loved working at Coffee and Tea Market, and the owner, Angela Matalas, eventually became a mentor of mine,\u201d says Coppola. \u201cIt was my home away from home and where I felt most comfortable and like myself. I loved what I did, and I knew that I was good at it. I never wanted to leave.\u201d<\/p>\n
Upon graduating from FIT, Coppola shifted gears and immediately entered the corporate sphere, becoming a Senior Product Manager at Horizon Group USA, where she had interned the previous summer. At Horizon Group USA, one of the country\u2019s leading suppliers of craft activity kits, Coppola worked on product development, primarily focusing on product sourcing from manufacturers overseas.<\/p>\n
After about five years at Horizon Group USA, Coppola left her corporate job to become a full-time mom. A few months later, while taking a walk in her neighborhood, Coppola noticed a vacant storefront at 422 Forest Ave. \u201cI thought to myself, \u2018Why is there a dumpster in front of Coffee and Tea Market?\u2019 and then I immediately pulled over, jumped out of my car, and started crying. It was there one day and gone the next,\u201d reminisces Coppola. <\/p>\n
\u201cAt that point, I knew in my gut that I wanted to try and push forward with my own store, so I called my husband and told him what happened, and he said, \u2018Well, that\u2019s it. You\u2019ve gotta open up the shop.\u2019 That\u2019s how Beans and Leaves was born,\u201d says Coppola. \u201cWe used all of our savings to put toward the store, and my family and I threw everything into it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Occupying the very same spot as the original Coffee and Tea Market, Beans and Leaves Coffee and Tea Caf\u00e9 officially opened its doors on May 3, 2012 and quickly earned its spot on Forest Avenue as a fan favorite. Becoming recognizable with their rotating flavor of the day and friendly staff members, Beans and Leaves grew in popularity as regulars came for the coffee and stayed for the company. Coppola poured love into Beans and Leaves from day one, hiring, training and nurturing employees who would continue to work there for years to come.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you create an environment that you enjoy coming to every day, and you find other people who are on that same wavelength, you make friends who become your family,\u201d emphasizes Coppola. \u201cI have one employee, Nicky, who has been working with me since the day that I opened, and I have another, Kristin, who has been here for nearly 12 years. She came to me as a barista and has stayed with me through it all, and I would not love what I do as much as I do if it weren\u2019t for her.\u201d<\/p>\n
As Beans and Leaves grew, so did its footprint, eventually expanding next door to 424 Forest Ave. to widen its menu, open up more seating, and offer catering. Going viral for waffles smothered in various candies, cereals, and syrups, Beans and Leaves began to attract people from outside the neighborhood as well, developing a loyal following beyond the limits of West Brighton. On busier days, the line could stretch out the door with people happily waiting for their \u201ciced flavor\u201d or \u201chungry man waffle.\u201d <\/p>\n
\u201cThe people that helped to open my doors in 2012 are the same people sitting at my tables today,\u201d stresses Coppola. \u201cThey are the heartbeat of Beans.\u201d<\/p>\n
In December 2022, Coppola partnered with longtime Beans and Leaves chef, Danielle Bianchi, to open a second location at 4916 Arthur Kill Rd. \u201cI had been wanting to open another location for a little while, and when I found the spot on Arthur Kill, I knew it was the right space,\u201d says Coppola. \u201cDanielle told me that she would be interested in partnering with me, so we opened Arthur Kill together, and we\u2019ve had a lot of the same staff since we started.\u201d<\/p>\n
Outgrowing its original and expanded space at 422 Forest Ave. in 2025, Beans and Leaves moved across the street to 409 Forest Ave. in a matter of just four days, making sure not to leave their fans without their Beans fix for too long. Coppola and her staff transformed the new space seamlessly and efficiently, perfecting their new system as if they never switched locations. <\/p>\n
In crafting Beans and Leaves, Coppola has created not only a trusted and successful brand but also a tight-knit and loving community that shines through every cup of coffee and every story shared. Coppola\u2019s dedication to the community that she has built is undeniable, extending far beyond the store\u2019s physical limits. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ll donate to anyone who comes our way who is in need,\u201d emphasizes Coppola. \u201cWe love to give back to the schools, especially because they\u2019ve been so supportive of us over the years.\u201d<\/p>\n
Coppola is also the chair of the Board of Directors for the Forest Avenue Business Improvement District (BID). A BID is an area where local stakeholders oversee and fund the maintenance, improvement, and promotion of their commercial district. As an active member of the Forest Avenue BID, Beans and Leaves frequently hosts community events in partnership with the BID. <\/p>\n
However, at the heart of Coppola\u2019s work is her family, which motivates her to be the business leader that she is. \u201cBeans and Leaves is like my fourth child, but I couldn\u2019t do any of this without my supportive family,\u201d says Coppola. \u201cThey helped me build Beans, and I wouldn\u2019t be here today without them.\u201d<\/p>\n
For her accomplishments, Megan Coppola is being honored with a Louis R. Miller Business Leadership Award, which she will receive in the Established Businessperson category. The awards, which are presented by the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce and the Staten Island Advance, honor the memory of Louis R. Miller, a businessman and West Brighton resident who was also a community leader. <\/p>\n
\u201cAt the end of the day, I just have the desire to do good things, spread good things, and encourage good things,\u201d says Coppola. \u201cI can only hope that my small contributions help to make our community a better place.\u201d<\/p>\n
Get to know Megan Coppola<\/p>\n
Current occupation and title: Cafe owner and travel advisor<\/p>\n
Hometown: West Brighton, born and raised<\/p>\n
Some of my life goals include: Raising my three children to be good humans that are kind, compassionate and driven by their hearts. <\/p>\n
My life philosophy: It takes more energy to be angry than it does to be happy. At the end of the day, you have to look yourself in the mirror and know if the person staring back is a good person. And personally, I\u2019d rather look at someone that I know is a good person with the best of intentions, rather than someone that is not. <\/p>\n
I am most proud of: Being a mom of three that is present for her family, while also running multiple successful businesses. My goal was to always prioritize my family, and somehow, with the help of many, I have managed to make it happen. <\/p>\n
Something that no one knows about me: I\u2019ve been more open about it in recent years, but I have terrible anxiety, including social anxiety, which to some is laughable. But if you hear me start talking about the weather, I\u2019m in bad shape. Disney is often my therapy. <\/p>\n
The quality I like best about myself: My heart. Even on my hardest days, I recognize that I am a good person and that, despite that it sometimes gets me hurt, I wouldn\u2019t change my decisions in the situation, because it is just who I am.<\/p>\n
Personal interests and hobbies: I love to travel, read and all things Disney!<\/p>\n
I laugh at: I laugh most often when with my friends and telling stories about our past antics. Impractical Jokers gets me every time and I love listening to Eric D\u2019Alessandro\u2019s impersonations. <\/p>\n
I am really good at: Being present for the people I care about. <\/p>\n
I admire: Honesty. My household rule is that as long as you are honest, we can get through anything. There is no greater betrayal to me, than a lie. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Megan Coppola, owner of Beans and Leaves Coffee and Tea Cafe, spreads joy across Staten Island every day…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":78147,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[39],"tags":[9,24,63,134,136,135],"class_list":{"0":"post-78146","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\/78146","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=78146"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/78146\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/78147"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=78146"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=78146"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=78146"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}