Vegan Pizza Land co-owner Kate Nadel at the counter.
Reminder Publishing submitted photo
NORTHAMPTON — After several months of running its “Coffee Counter” in the Easthampton Keystone Mill Building, Vegan Pizza Land has now expanded the concept to Northampton.
In an email sent to Reminder Publishing, Vegan Pizza Land owners Will Meyer, Kate Nadel and Mike Cook announced that they have opened a second “Coffee Counter” inside Thornes Marketplace at a kiosk adjacent to Cornucopia Natural Foods.
Much like the one at the Keystone Mill building, the Coffee Counter in Thornes will offer scratch made eats in a limited grab-and-go setting.
“We had no intention of expanding or opening a second shop,” Meyer said. “But when we heard about the space and the amazing location, we knew it was a great opportunity.”
The new location will focus primarily on plant-based lunch options like salads, rice bowls and sandwiches, as well as budget-friendly coffee drinks, and pastries and sweets. It will be open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Wednesdays through Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesdays to coincide with the Tuesday markets.
According to Meyer, part of what attracted Vegan Pizza Land to the Thornes location was its proximity to the weekly market and other events that take place downtown. Meyer also mentioned the Coffee Counter’s proximity to the nearby parking garage as a major plus.
“Cornucopia has been a great business partner,” Meyer said. “They were specifically seeking out a vegan or vegetarian lunch option, so we knew it’d be a perfect fit.”
Meyer added that Cornucopia is offering a 10% discount to Coffee Counter customers who visit their shop during the first month Coffee Counter is in business. The deal solidifies the “symbiotic nature” of the two businesses, according to Meyer.
“Cornucopia has always been a hub for emerging vegan/vegetarian brands,” said Cornucopia co-owner Nate Clifford. “Getting Will, Mike, Kate and crew into the kiosk felt like a ‘big get’ and a perfect compliment to our core values as a business.”
The Keystone Mill Coffee Counter will continue to be open from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Monday through Friday and serve breakfast sandwiches, granola parfaits and other morning eats, according to the Vegan Pizza Land owners.
“We wanted to create a place where people could grab a breakfast biscuit and a coffee without having to order ahead or wait,” Meyer said of the Keystone Mill building Coffee Counter when it first opened in February. “And while there’s great coffee in other parts of Easthampton, there are no daytime options in the Pleasant Street mill buildings, despite it being an economic hub, where hundreds of people work and visit every day.”
Vegan Pizza Land started in 2021 out of Meyer’s Easthampton apartment with sourdough crust, homemade cashew cheese and toppings dictated by what was in his farm share.
As the customer base grew, the operation hosted pop ups at breweries and restaurants, where a lot of their items sold out quickly.
Meyer, Cook and Nadel purchased a vintage Airstream trailer with a wood-fired oven in 2023 where they sold personal pizzas with New York and Neapolitan influences along with signature sides, pies and sweets during the warmer months of the year.
They operate the trailer out of Easthampton Abandoned Building Brewery from May to November. It is currently open for dine in and take out Thurs 5-9 p.m., Fri 5-9 p.m., Sat 2-9 p.m. and Sun 2-8 p.m.
