Following the Smell of Coffee, A Business Dream Realized

A once-aspiring business owner from South Salem has made her dream come true. What began as a wish for a hometown coffeehouse, led to the opening of a one, right here in Wilton. 

Karen Piazza, 47, in partnership with her 25-year-old niece, Kayla McArdle, opened the doors to  in Wilton on this past Feb. 

When Piazza’s brother bought a building for his transportation business in the Connecticut town, he told her about an old barn that was part of the property, and suggested it could be a great coffee shop. 

The wheels were immediately set in motion and the two women began plans to transform the 1760 barn into Coffee Barn—and fulfill their wishes of creating a meeting place where locals could get excellent coffee and sumptuous treats.

“Everything just fell into place and we knew this would work,” Piazza said.

She added that she had originally planned on opening a coffeehouse in Cross River—she felt the hamlet badly needed it—but could not secure a location in the area. When this unique opportunity in Wilton came around, Piazza said the 1,200-square-foot space was perfect and would be very cozy and inviting. 

“It has an antique, woodsy feel and many people say it reminds them of a place in Vermont,” she said.

The mother of three—with one child in college and two in the Katonah-Lewisboro district—said she has felt some similarities between Katonah and Wilton.

“Both of our towns are in beautiful areas and the people who live in them support local, family-owned businesses—and Wilton has been amazingly supportive of us coming to town.”

All of Coffee Barn’s beans come from in Tarrytown, a company that uses 100 percent sustainable energy (wind and low-impact hydro-electric) to roast its certified organic, fair-trade, bird-friendly and Rainforest Alliance-certified beans.

In addition to coffee, cappuccinos and lattes, Coffee Barn serves cupcakes, gelato, soups, smoothies, cookies, fresh Belgium waffles, soft drinks, egg sandwiches, croissants, bagels, candy, brownies, some gluten-free items and also allergy-free treats, like cookies, popcorn and candy from “Divvies,” a company based in South Salem.

The proprietor said her favorite thing so far about her new venture is definitely the people.

“I love meeting people and I love offering them top quality products. We have the best coffee on earth,” she said.

is located at 392 Danbury Road in Wilton, Hours are Mon - Fri, 6:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m; Sat, Sun, 7a.m. - 5p.m.