The windows of Greenberry’s coffee shop are often filled with newspapers sitting on the bar inside, but a jittery customer noticed another kind of paper in the window this past weekend: an ABC notice announcing the coffee shop’s bid for a beer and wine license. For Greenberry’s legions of loyal customers– who can now find Greenberry’s goodies at 15 locations from North Carolina to New Jersey– the news could come as a fright. Is the coffee being left behind in favor of full service food and beverages?

“Not at all,” promises Greenberry’s owner, Sean Simmons, who with his wife, Roxanne, opened the flagship store at Barracks Road 16 years ago and has quietly built a coffee empire– so quietly that the Washington Post failed to mention the business in its recent round-up of Charlottesville coffee shops.

And by Charlottesville’s standards, Greenberry’s is an empire. In addition to the numerous franchises, the company roasts its own beans– more than 100,000 pounds per year at a facility up 29N near the airport– and supplies coffee to many restaurants and hotels.

It’s still not enough, says Simmons, who explains, “You have to stay innovative to stay ahead.”

The wine and beer license is part of Simmons’ vision for the future of Greenberry’s. But serving alcohol, he says, is secondary to his primary vision: adding healthy food choices to the menus at all the stores. He’s hired an executive chef, he says, and in the next week customers can savor the first of those offerings: organic, steel-cut oatmeal. Soon after, organic soups will be on the menu.

“We will continue to roll out more breakfast and lunch products,” Simmons says, “but we’ll never, ever bastardize the coffee store atmosphere, which is what we are.”

As for the alcohol option, Simmons says he hasn’t decided when– or if– to add wines and microbrews to the menu at Barracks Road. He’s considering customer demand and looking for ways to build his slower evening business, when one person might want a latte while her date might prefer a glass of Chardonnay.

Sitting outside Greenberry’s this afternoon, regular customer Kate Gregg– a first year UVA law student, pictured above– says she’s delighted by the prospect.

“Especially when I’m here studying late at night,” she says, “a glass of wine would be great.”

There’s one potential stumbling block Simmons will need to “step” over before he considers making Greenberry’s a combo coffee/winebar. Or maybe 12 blocks to step over. He acknowledges that some of Greenberry’s current evening customers are members of Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous, and he says those recovering regulars will play a role in his decision.

“I’m taking that seriously,” he says. “We may introduce wine and beer in other stores and not in this one.”

That’s not to say Charlottesville won’t have a Greenberry’s with wine and beer, however. In fact, in news that’s even bigger than the ABC license, Simmons says he’s hoping to have a second– and much larger–Greenberry’s location somewhere in the downtown area by early 2009.

“We’re looking for something close to 3,000 square feet to enhance our presence,” he says.

Greenberry’s lovers won’t wine about that!

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