D’Latte Cafe announces closure
D’Latte Cafe, a beloved coffee spot in the heart of Greenport Village, will shut its doors for the final time this Sunday.
“With a heavy heart, we have to announce the closure of our Greenport cafe at 218 Main Street after 20 beautiful years,” reads an announcement posted on D’Latte’s Facebook and Instagram pages, signed by the establishment’s team and the Purita family.
“We want to take this moment to thank all of you who have supported us throughout this journey, making it full of love and laughter,” the post continues. “We are truly grateful for the memories we have made here and will cherish them always. Although this is goodbye for now, we are excited to embark on the next chapter for D’Latte, which our father, Frank, has always wanted. Stay tuned on social media for more updates. Thank you for your loyalty and support over the years. We couldn’t have made it this far without you.”
D’Latte founder Franco Purita, known as Frank, died in 2019 at 53. His wife, Claudia Purita, and his two daughters, Gabriella and Maria Purita, have since stood at the helm of what began as a coffee shop and grew to a community hub with a loyal following. Among their most dedicated supporters were a group of gentlemen the family has befriended that could be spotted outside the establishment. Mr. Purita, a chef, hosted annual dinners for the group, and one year even gifted them matching red fleece jackets with their names sewn onto the right side and the D’Latte logo printed on the left. Group member Tom Owens said they were told of the pending closure this past weekend. He hopes the family reopens in another location.
“It’s a terrible loss for Greenport,” Mr. Owens said Tuesday in a telephone interview. “We’re going to miss them. They’re great people and they’ve treated us exceptionally well over the years. It’s a nice place to hang out in the morning and enjoy a cup of coffee. Those girls work very hard; they’re really good at what they do, and I’m sure whatever they decide to do they will be successful.”
