Main St.’s Cafe Busy Bean becomes community hub By Devin Leith-Yessian The Citizen
Remembering a tennis coach and math teacher known for caring more about his students than his lessons, dozens of educators, coaches, former tennis players and students gathered outside the Berlin High School tennis courts Thursday, Aug. 8 for the facility’s official dedication as the Rex Smith Memorial Tennis Courts.
“Everyone I’ve spoken to who has been to your establishment here has loved it,” Mayor Mark Kaczynski told Tigran Hovhannisyan, owner of the Main Street cafe. Kaczynski was joined by Interim Town Manager Arosha Jayawickrema and Hovhannisyan’s daughter, Ani, in holding the ribbon up as Hovhannisyan wielded the oversized scissors.
Since last year’s launch, Hovhannisyan has expanded his menu to include nitro cold brew coffee, parfaits, salads and bagels, sourced from Bagel Plus in Plainville, and is currently looking at new lunch options. He’s also
Tennis courts dedicated to Coach Smith math department chairperson Eileen Thurston.
By Devin Leith-Yessian The Citizen
Celebrating a business that has become a second home for some residents, town officials held a ribbon cutting ceremony for Cafe Busy Bean Monday morning.
Economic Development Director Chris Edge said the cafe “has been the biggest, hottest thing in Berlin,” since its soft opening on Nov. 4, 2018.
Thursday, August 15, 2019
www.berlincitizen.com
Volume 22, Number 25
Tigran Hovhannisyan, center right, cuts the ribbon during the grand opening ceremony for Cafe Busy Bean on Monday, Aug. 12. From left, Hovhannisyan is joined by Berlin Mayor Mark Kaczynski, Ani Hovhannisyan and Interim Town Manager Arosha Jayawickrema. Devin Leith-Yessian, The Citizen
looking to add outdoor seating along Main Street, with Edge providing some assistance with the process of getting that approved. Hovhannisyan said he’s hap-
py to see that the town has accepted Busy Bean as a place to go out and a destination in its own right. “It seems like the town really See Bean, A17
"He bled this place and, including the tennis courts, this was home for him. So this treasure is very appropriate for him," said Scott Trevethan, a friend of Smith’s whose son was one of his players. He said it was important to Smith that people know the courts are there for all to use and he encouraged people to play on them – and a few did after the ceremony. Smith, who taught and coached at BHS since 1980, died Nov. 7, 2018 after a brief illness, said
After spending years lobbying the town to renovate the courts, with help from Trevethan, Smith was able to spend just one year coaching on them. Smith
"He was sometimes referred to as 'Mr. BHS.' He truly bled Redcoat red," said BHS athletics director Jeff Mauri. "These courts behind me are a lasting image of the work he put in, as it was he, along with the help of Scott Trevethan and Parks and Rec, who brought this beautiful complex to life.” Smith wasn’t just known as being a coach who won countless conference titles through his unique ability to transform athletes into tennis players quickly, Mauri said, he also brought his talents across See Smith, A17
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