HeBrews, which started in Albion, opens second coffee shop in Medina

Photos by Ginny Kropf: Jim Nowaczewski has opened his second coffee shop – this one at 114 East Center St., Medina.

MEDINA – Jim Nowaczewski wasn’t a bit hesitant about opening a coffee shop in the middle of a pandemic.

HeBrews at 59 North Main St. in Albion has become so popular he decided to open another in Medina.

As the name suggests, his business is a coffee shop in a Christian environment, although he says he doesn’t push religion on his customers.

Nowaczewski originally came from Buffalo, then went to work as supervisor for a company in Southern California dealing with rooftop safety. The company is owned by Lyndonville native Michael Mumau, who Nowaczewski says had a big impact on his life.

“He followed the Bible and it touched my heart,” he said.

With family still in Akron and Buffalo, Nowaczewski decided to return to Western New York and bought a home in Albion three years ago. He likes coffee a lot, he said. So opening a coffee house was a natural choice.

HeBrews 5:9 is not only the address of his North Main Street coffee shop, it is a great verse from the Bible, he said, as is HeBrews 1:14, the East Center Street address of his new Medina shop.

Nowaczewski said his move to Medina was jump started by Kathy Blackburn, owner of 114 East Center St., where she formerly had an ice cream parlor.

“She came to Albion and said she’d love for me to do the same thing in Medina,” he said.

He and his helpers started working on the building in July and August.

He said he always thought it would be nice to have a community center, and that is how he hopes his coffee shop will be viewed. There are small rooms with tables and chairs, couches and stuffed chairs. The back room has a pool table and dart board and is capable of accommodating up to 20 people. He hopes groups looking for a place to meet or have a Bible study will consider his space.

Jim Nowaczewski stands in the back room of the coffee shop he opened a week ago at 114 East Center St., the former site of Meggie Moo’s Ice Cream. He has added lounging areas and a meeting room with pool table and dart board.

There is a covered back patio which can seat up to 12 in good weather.

“This is a safe place where people can be people,” he said. “We are a place of hope. Hope lives here.”

He said his menu is simple. Hot coffee, iced coffee, Bubble tea, Papa Thom’s Rockin’ Bagles and fresh muffins from local bakeries. Sometimes he has scones and gluten free baked goods.

He is looking to expand the kitchen and in October, Nowaczewski hopes to begin offering hot breakfasts and soups, salads and sandwiches for lunch.

His coffee beans are roasted by family friends in Buffalo.

Nowaczewski said he is looking forward to Ale in Autumn, as HeBrews is the designated driver headquarters.

He is also excited to have been recently notified his Albion business has been chosen by the Orleans County Chamber of Commerce as its “New Business of the Year.”

For now, his hours in Medina are 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday, but he hopes to expand them soon and offer home delivery.

“We will always be closed on Sundays,” he said.