Tunnel City Coffee launched an expanded breakfast and lunch menu last Friday. Offered Friday through Monday, the menu includes an açai bowl, a breakfast burrito, a bagel and lox plate, and an enoki mushroom sandwich, among other items. The new menu was created in response to customer feedback and to fill the culinary gaps of the area, according to Jamal Stockton,  one of three Tunnel City owners.

Although Tunnel City opened over three decades ago, Stockton took over the business in 2024 alongside his wife Janine McCarl and Neel Patel, who owns various small businesses in Town.

After taking over, the shop’s new owners shared a survey with the community. Tunnel City’s location in a small town enabled Stockton, McCarl, and Patel to be particularly receptive to customer input. “Tunnel City is the hub of Williamstown,” Stockton said in an interview with the Record. “People view it as the town hall or the town square, so naturally people just come and they talk.”

Inspiration for the eight new food options came from customer recommendations, as well as Stockton’s personal favorites. “Living in New York City and Boston, [my family and I] would often go to dim sum on Sunday for brunch,” he said. “So pork bao and dumplings are something that I just simply want.”

Stockton also noted the challenges of accessing healthy prepared food in a rural area. The new menu items like the açaí bowls or bagels and lox, he explained, are intended to offer an easy, nutritious food option. “It’s clear to us that when customers come to us, there’s gaps in the community around food that people are looking for,” he said.

As the menu is still being rolled out and adjusted, Stockton emphasized the importance of customer feedback in the process. “Do people like the additions?” he said. “Do they want to see changes to the menu? And then, what are the additions?”

Although the new breakfast and lunch items are currently only offered four days a week, Stockton hopes to eventually offer all menu items every day. He also plans on offering the menu during evening hours and combining occasional nights of later closing hours with events such as concerts, which the shop has previously hosted.

Stockton himself is most excited about the new breakfast sandwich. “I like just the classic bodega bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich from the city, which I miss,” he said.