Neighbors

A fresh brew of art and music at the Bellmore Bean

Hookeys continue beloved Bellmorite's coffeehouse legacy

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Jim Hookey, 56, of Bellmore, bought the Bellmore Bean from its former owner Katina “Tina” Andreotis Dupuis last July, on the same day that she was diagnosed with diverticulitis, an inflammation of the digestive system, Hookey said.

Dupuis died on Nov. 18 at 47.

“I haven’t changed [The Bellmore Bean] much on the inside because I wanted to keep her memory alive,” Hookey said.

Hookey and his wife Natalie were friends of Depuis for roughly 20 years. According to Hookey, Depuis decided to sell the coffee shop because of her obligations with two other local businesses, Salon T and Polara Jewelers, owned by her fiancée Billy Polara. “They wanted to find someone… to buy it from them,” Hookey said. “[And] they knew we would take care of it.”

Hookey said that Depuis’ personality was encapsulated in the coffee shop, adding that she had crafted a haven not only for coffee lovers, but art and music enthusiasts, and friends and families looking to spend quality time together. Mondays offer comedy and poetry, Tuesday is Art Night, Thursday is Open Mic Night and the weekends are celebrated with live music.