Patrick Antonelli spent 18 years grinding out a living alongside his mother at Adrian's Custard & Beef before deciding Grand Island needed something it didn't have: a local coffee shop and quick breakfast spot that wasn't part of a chain. He opened JB's Coffee & Kitchen at 2092 Grand Island Blvd. on August 13, and by his own account, the first week ended with empty shelves well before lunch.
A Name Built Around Family
The name JB's stands for Juliette and Bennett, Antonelli's two children — Juliette is 2 and Bennett is 1. Antonelli is the owner, and Nadia Ammerman manages the restaurant, which now runs with about 25 team members on site, according to Niagara Frontier Publications. Antonelli described the concept simply as a walk-up scratch kitchen, built around the idea of making food fresh and better rather than buying frozen product and reheating it, per the same report.
He told the paper that Grand Island had three chain coffee shops but no local coffee shop or quick breakfast option before JB's arrived — the gap he set out to fill. Mornings have been busy since day one, and Antonelli said the business learns something new every week as it settles in.
Scratch-Made, Down to the Syrup
JB's own site describes itself as offering “scratch breakfast, lunch and coffee, served all day on Grand Island,” and backs that up with ingredient-level detail: JB's Coffee & Kitchen says every item on the menu is made from scratch each morning. Sausage and burger blends are ground in-house daily, and the breakfast sausage and smashburger meat are ground and seasoned on-site, according to Niagara Frontier Publications. Even the syrups poured into the coffee are made from scratch, the restaurant's menu notes.
Among the dishes Antonelli pointed to as customer favorites are the sausage, egg and cheese; the California wrap; the hot honey cutlet; and beef on weck, the restaurant told the paper. That beef on weck starts with top round cooked low and slow overnight, then shaved thin to order and dunked in au jus before landing on a house-finished kummelweck roll, a preparation detailed on both the restaurant's menu and in Antonelli's own description to Niagara Frontier Publications.
Leaning on Local Suppliers
JB's buys from a roster of regional producers, including The Little Bee Bread Co., Aura Juicery, Merle Maple, Cassorla's Bagels and Sourdough by Amanda, per Niagara Frontier Publications. The coffee itself is a custom espresso blend roasted in Buffalo by Tipico Coffee, paired with single-origin drip and those house-made syrups, according to the restaurant's Toast ordering page. Tea and chai come from Cup of Communitea in Williamsville, and cold-pressed juice arrives from Aura Juicery in North Tonawanda, per the restaurant's menu.
Step Out Buffalo has framed the shop as pairing scratch-kitchen quality with counter-service speed, a description that fits a menu where coffee is ground to order and food is cooked to order. The restaurant provides full counter service and a complete menu all day, along with online advance ordering aimed at commuters.
Built for Gluten-Free and Vegan Diners
JB's has leaned into dietary accommodations from the start. The shop maintains a dedicated fryer and toaster set aside for gluten-free and vegan preparation, and every sandwich on the menu can be made gluten-free with a bread substitution, according to Niagara Frontier Publications and the restaurant's Toast listing. Gluten-free and vegan baked goods come from Fig Tree Patisserie in Buffalo.
Hours Expanding as the Island Responds
JB's currently operates 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday through Monday, but starting October 20, the restaurant will add Tuesday hours on the same schedule. Antonelli said the business will assess how the island responds to the expanded week before considering whether to open on Wednesdays too, Niagara Frontier Publications reported.
Orders can be placed by calling 716-775-5533, or through online ordering for pickup and delivery via jbscoffeekitchen.com, where the full menu and loyalty program details are also listed.
