Take A Sip Of ‘Normalcy’ Amid COVID At Livingston Coffee House

LIVINGSTON, NJ — An independent, family-owned business in Livingston says it’s nice to bring some “normalcy” back to the community. But safety comes first, its owners add.

COVID-19 couldn’t have hit at a worse time for Twisted Tulip, which launched in 2019 and had just gotten its feet planted at 277 Eisenhower Parkway. Over that time, the coffee shop became a labor of love for the owners, who source their products locally and take pride in their staff’s prowess as baristas.

Learn more about this local business here.

The virus – and subsequent state shutdown – “devastated” the coffee shop, which had to temporarily close. However, after a brief hiatus, Twisted Tulip battled back and began offering curbside pickup and delivery though DoorDash and GrubHub.

The income helped. But there was something missing: community.

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When state officials gave the go-ahead for restaurants to reopen outdoors on June 15, it was an opportunity for Twisted Tulip to regain a bit of what it lost. And hopefully, with their new outdoor café space – which includes tables spaced at least 6 feet apart – the local java joint will again become a place where people come to “hang out, relax and enjoy some awesome coffee,” its owners and staff say.

“We are thrilled to bring some sense of normalcy back to the community,” said Twisted Tulip’s education manager, Hyacinth Rios.

“Our top priority is of course safety,” Rios added.

Other safety measures at the shop include:

• Every time a customer leaves a table, the table and chairs will be disinfected
• All Twisted Tulip staff will continue to wear masks and gloves
• Single-use cups and plates so that no customer is drinking or eating out of something another customer touched
• Hand sanitizer will be available to all customers
• Gloves and masks can be purchased in the shop's online store, so that no customer has to sit outside without proper protective equipment

The shop has also been trying to reach out to the home market, offering “coffee care packages” that include a dripper, filters and brewing accessories.

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