Somerville Coffee Shop Rebrands Itself Again, This Time For Good

SOMERVILLE, NJ — It's been a rough road for Bridgewater native Steven Chiocchi as he opened his coffee shop at 37 W Main St. in Somerville. But as they say, the third time is the charm.

Chiocchi's cold brew shop in Somerville is rebranding itself for the third and final time as Ambee Coffee after dealing with trademark issues. He is also already moving forward with a second location opening in Raritan.

"Ambee Coffee is trademarked and our forever name now," said Chiocchi.

The name Ambee is a word Chiocchi, a Bridgewater-Raritan High School graduate, made up and is a play on the word ambient. He launched Ambee on Amazon and online before opening his coffee shop in 2018 for his coffee product line.

The name also aligns better with his organic coffee line that is light- or ambient-themed. The coffee product names include Aurora, Orion, Eclipse, and more.

Along with the name change, Chiocchi announced he is opening a second location at 101 Second Ave. in Raritan in the shopping center off Route 202 near the Somerville Circle.

The opening is a collaboration with the owner of Epic Cookies and 22 West Tap & Grill Kevin Trimarchi to be able to offer more of a food element.

When people visit the Somerville coffee shop, Chiocchi said "everyone always asks us if we have food."

Jumping off that, the Raritan location will offer everything the Somerville location has plus a kitchen and a chef.

"We will have farm-to-table breakfast and lunch with items like avocado toast and local egg sandwiches," said Chiocchi.

The aim is open in the early Fall with construction already occurring.

Long-term Chiocchi's goal is to expand further with printed swag and branded merchandise - that's why the trademark was a big deal for him.

Chiocchi initially opened his coffee shop as Cheech's Own in the summer of 2018 but had to change its name to Lucid Coffee after actor and comedian Richard "Cheech" Marin sued the company claiming trademark infringement for using his name. Read More: 'Cheech' Sues Somerville Coffee Shop For Using His Name

After rebranding to Lucid Coffee in 2020, Chiocchi said they hit a small conflict with a tea company over the new name so instead of dealing with any more issues he applied for a trademark with Ambee. Read More: Somerville Coffee Shop Rebrands Itself After 'Cheech' Lawsuit

Chiocchi is hoping his journey will help other business owners understand the importance of picking a name.

"Most businesses don't think and it turns into a mess when trying to grow," said Chiocchi.

Now Chiocchi is looking to the future with a goal to host a soft opening in September.

For more information visit ambee.coffee or facebook.com/ambeecoffee or instagram.com/ambee_coffee.

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