NEW NAME, NEW HOME
Brookfield’s Ironworks Cafe reborn on New Milford’s Bank Street
NEW MILFORD — When Stacy Lynn Murphy decided to relocate her Brookfield eatery — Ironworks Cafe — to New Milford, she wanted to rename it something that fit the town.
And that’s just what she did. The new name, Cafe 1840, recognizes the street the business will be located on — Bank Street, which was established in 1840. It was originally called Wall Street.
“We are honoring the history of New Milford — incorporating that into the name,” said Murphy, who is 56 and a town resident.
The location of Cafe 1840, which has a February opening, had previously been a newspaper and tobacco store called Archway, which is no longer in business. In prior years, it was a pharmacy and also a saloon.
Being a business owner is not a new concept for Murphy, a selftaught chocolatier, baker and chef. Previous businesses she owned include two retail bridal shops in New Canaan.
She now owns a house plantand pet-sitting company based out of New Canaan, and Sweet Pea Farm in Redding.
She describes herself as “all hands on,” when it comes to being actively involved in all her endeavors.
“I’m a beekeeper and produce my own honey and chocolates. I sell wholesale to about 30 supermarkets and health food stores,” said Murphy, who was born in Michigan and also lived in Missouri, Texas, Florida, and Arizona. She lives with exotic
finches, fish and cats. Her Icelandic sheep and rare breed chickens are at a friend’s farm.
In April, Murphy opened Four Corners Chocolate and Coffee on Tucks Road in Brookfield.
“I had always wanted a chocolate and coffee shop,” Murphy said. “I also started making chocolates and chocolate truffles and gourmet chocolate cocoa bombs.”
She changed the name of the business to Ironworks Cafe in September. Ironworks closed in November.
Cafe 1840 will sell all the same items as Ironworks — soups, sandwiches, salads, breads, frozen smoothies, brownies, ice cream sundaes, Espresso coffee and homemade chocolates.
Everything is made fresh, she said.
It will also carry 14 varieties of honey and have a farm market products section containing dried meats, eggs, cheeses and pies.
One of the bestsellers at Ironworks that will also be at Cafe 1840, said Murphy, is gourmet quiche — of which there are four different kinds — crab, veggie, cheddar broccoli and crustless ham and Gruyere.
“We make them from scratch,” Murphy said.
Cafe 1840 will also carry truffles, brownies and bubble tea, “which is all the rage right now,” Murphy said. “It is a tea or a smoothie with soy or coconut milk, with tapioca chewy pearls on the bottom, or fruit juice with juice filled pearls.”
For children as well as adults, there will be candy and huge chocolate chip cookies and chocolate chip muffins
Eventually, she’ll be offering desserts and a cocktail menu in a lounge on weekend nights.
The cafe will have live music from local bands, guitarists and soloists.
Customers will also see an artisanal market in the shop, which will showcase and sell work from local artists.
At 1,600 square feet, Cafe 1840 is about double the usable space of the Brookfield location, and is in a more “heavily traveled downtown location,” Murphy said.
Additionally, there will be outdoor sidewalk space along the side of the building for tables and chairs.
Murphy has also restored the shop’s original library reading room, which has a fireplace and big bow window.
Every item at Ironworks, including its kitchen equipment, was used, recycled or donated. The same will be true in the new location.
Murphy said she can’t wait to have a business right in town.
“New Milford has a lot of community involvement and a lot of community support,” Murphy said.
“They have a great downtown area and a lot of town events up on the Green that incorporates the entire town and all the retail shops.”
She said she wants customers to consider her shop a “respite” from the outside world. Instead of a television, while they eat, they can look at large fish tanks and aquascapes, plants, oriental throw rugs, antiques, leather chairs and “unusual and eccentric collectibles.”
“The store has a calming nature, combined with chocolate, music and coffee,” Murphy said. “This is filling a niche in foods and ambiance in town.”