The Barn opens in Ronkonkoma
The Barn, which is converting old Dairy Barn properties into drive-thru coffee shops, opens its newest location on Friday at 370 Hawkins Ave. in Ronkonkoma. Credit: Newsday/Steve Pfost
The Barn, Long Island’s big, red dessert-coffee drive-thru, continues its creative reinvention of long-shuttered Dairy Barns with a new Ronkonkoma location that opens today on Hawkins Ave.
Featuring For Five Coffee, The Barn sells coffee beverages, lattes and iced coffees ($6.99 for 24 ounces), as well as iced teas, lemonades and hot chocolates. But it’s the hot and iced specialty drinks — $7.99 — like the rainbow cookie latte topped with requisite rainbow cookies, and the Powdered Donut, sprinkled with cinnamon and crowned with an actual doughnut, that stand out. New for this season: Drinks that emphasize lighter ingredients and protein boosts to optimize the new year.
The Barn first opened earlier this year in Huntington, followed by East Northport and Patchogue, all generating long lines at peak coffee-drinking hours. The revamped drive-thrus have taken TikTok by storm, with both coffee-lovers and Instagram-prone patrons posting shots of trumped-up lattes and dessert-topped iced coffees.
The "New Year, New Me Latte Series" debuts with Ronkonkoma’s opening and will be featured at all stores. Lighter lattes and protein-packed drinks are crafted with sugar-free syrups and lighter milk (or milk alternatives). Protein shakes can be made with or without espresso and, in true Barn fashion, come with a homemade protein pop subbing in for a cake pop ($12.99). Additionally, New Year lattes can be paired with small bags of another cult favorite snack, drizzilicous mini rice cakes.
The Barn is the brainchild of husband-and-wife team Irena Angeliades and Michael Wieczorek, who also own Northport’s Greek spot, Symi. Angeliades, her father, and sister purchased 49 Dairy Barn stores on Long Island 15 years ago. The family sold a bunch of properties to new owners, while keeping locations in Merrick (which is independently run), East Northport, Patchogue, Huntington, and more that are on tap to be reborn.
Next up for relaunch: Center Moriches, just in time for Valentine’s Day, followed by Massapequa and Seaford around Easter.
The Barn Ronkonkoma, 370 Hawkins Ave., Ronkonkoma; 631-468-8340. Open daily from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
A global freelancer who has checked her suitcase to raise her young daughter on her native Long Island, Marie Elena will always make time for good mezcal, even better tacos and killer conversation. Preferably, in a corner bar seat. She can be found on Instagram at @mariesworldeats.
