On June 15, Mocha Mott’s had its 30th birthday celebration, and also celebrated 20 years of “Best Coffee,” awarded by Martha’s Vineyard Magazine in its annual Best of the Vineyard contest. Mocha Mott’s flagship location, at 10 Circuit Ave. in Oak Bluffs, was opened in 1994 by Mott Hinkley. Seven years later, in 2001, current owners Tim Dobel and Meredith Aldrich took over. In 2004 they opened up a second location at 15 Main St. in Vineyard Haven, which is open year-round.
“Meredith and I are partners, bought it 23 years ago, after Mott owned it for seven years. We took it over on June 15 [2001], and added the Vineyard Haven location about six years later,” said Dobel.
When it comes to 20 years of the best coffee on Island, Dobel said, “We’re real proud of that; we work really hard to do that, and as you see we do fair-trade organic coffee, which makes all the difference. It’s good three times, it’s good for the earth, it’s good for the farmer, and it’s good for you.”
Dylan Shapiro, who has been an employee at Mocha Mott’s for seven years, says his favorite part about working there is the people. “It’s a family,” said Shapiro.
Martha O’Donnell, who has been an employee for two years, said her favorite part about working at Mocha Mott’s is “the people, my coworkers, and the coffee.”
As for the customers at the Oak Bluffs location, O’Donnell said, “They are really funny, and they come in with so much love, even when it’s early in the morning.”
They gave out free cupcakes to celebrate the big day, and had streamers and special shirts that said “Cheers to 30 years.” Dobel emphasized the importance of having a committed and engaged staff. “They’re what makes Motts Mott’s. There’s two rules to work at Motts: You gotta smile, and you gotta be quick,” said Dobel.
Aldrich shared a similar sentiment: “It’s all about them, it’s all about the staff.”
Aldrich’s favorite menu item is a cold brew, although she typically uses the Nicaraguan beans to make coffee at home. As for baking, she shared that raspberry bars are her favorite thing to make, although rolling croissants can be meditative.
“We have great coffee, there’s no doubt about that, but there’s a lot of places where you can get great coffee, but there’s not a lot of places where you can come in and feel like you’re a part of things,” said Aldrich. “We know everybody, and we know what they drink; we care about our customers.”
“It’s a good gig, we’re a real part of the community,” Aldrich concluded.