Food Network Star Turns Historic 1850s Farmhouse Into Cozy Coffee and Tea Shop in Basking Ridge

TV chef Mollie Dowd plans to launch The Porch, a distinctive coffee and tea spot, in a restored 1850s farmhouse. The shop, at 107 S. Maple Ave. in Basking Ridge, New Jersey, opens its doors this July.

"We are hoping for a mid-July opening. We are hiring and interviewing now," said Dowd to Patch.

Workers spent two years fixing up the old building. They put steel beams in the basement while keeping the original features. The old hand-notched wood turned into tables and chairs, and the horse hitching post still stands outside.

"I have architectural training in my background, and I've always just been so enamored with architecture in general and even historic elements. And this building, while it's not on the Historic Register, which I'm actually glad, has pieces of it that I totally cherish," Dowd said.

The Porch will be New Jersey's first spot to serve Onyx coffee. Guests can sip special teas, with matcha coming from Princeton's Ooika shop.

Fresh treats will come out of the kitchen in small batches. "It's not going to be your classic bakery where you come in and look at the big window of donuts. That's exactly what we're not going to be. It's a little more specialty than that, and it's pairings with what's going on in the coffee shop," Dowd explained.

An art studio sits inside the building where guests can craft items like gingerbread houses. The space will host hands-on food activities and special events.

Dowd's brand, Edible Estates, will offer seasonal items. Guests can buy pies at Thanksgiving and gingerbread treats during Christmas.

The shop starts with a soft opening in July. A bigger celebration comes after Labor Day. The owners want to create a spot where people can gather, drink good coffee, eat tasty treats, and join fun activities.

What was once a blacksmith's workshop now mixes old with new. The careful two-year fix-up kept the building's old charm while adding modern touches.