Why did Ellie Doyle uproot her family and move to West Hartford? And why is the ‘Reheated Coffee Club’ so popular?

Ellie Doyle of Reheated Coffee Club with her family in Elizabeth Park. Courtesy photo

By Melissa Cole

If you’ve scrolled social media lately, you may have come across a mom documenting her family’s move from Florida to Connecticut, highlighting the differences between the two states. Or maybe you saw her viral winter break cruise story (spoiler alert: everyone got sick).

Meet Ellie Doyle, the face behind the social media account, Reheated Coffee Club because, as she says, ”Moms never have a hot cup of coffee. It’s usually reheated several times.”

Doyle grew up in Miami and her husband was raised in Buffalo, but she did spend some time in Connecticut when she was younger. She says some of her very favorite childhood memories are from her grandparents’ home in Cheshire where she spent many Christmases. So when the couple, who were living in St. Augustine, Florida with their young children, began considering a major move, Connecticut rose to the top of their list.

Ellie Doyle of Reheated Coffee Club and her family on Halloween. Courtesy photo

“I’ve kind of had this deep rooted love and fuzzy feeling about Connecticut, but my husband had never been here. So when we were looking up school systems and seeing how high Connecticut was ranked, I said let’s take a trip, just me and you, and see if this is a place we can actually build our lives.”

Doyle and her husband toured houses in quite a few towns, and quickly realized West Hartford was the place they wanted to be.

“The leaves were starting to change, kids were playing in their yards. There was live music downtown, so much going on, such good food. We could see it. “

The Florida transplants purchased a home in West Hartford and moved in last June. One of the first notable differences compared to St. Augustine is the diversity of the community here; not just in the people, but also in the markets, shops, and restaurants.

“Food of every culture on every corner. Different grocery stores of different countries. You’ve got your Asian supermarket, Indian supermarket, whatever you want.”

Ellie Doyle, Reheated Coffee Club. Courtesy photo

Content creating happened almost by accident for this full time working mom of three – a 6-year-old, and twin toddlers. She has her MBA in marketing, and works remotely for her family’s engineering company. One day, while holding one of her little ones and making coffee, she hopped online and began sharing about her family’s move; specifically the differences they were noticing between their new home and the state they left behind. That content blew up almost overnight and Doyle says so many people from the area commented or reached out to say how nice it was to have so much positive feedback about Connecticut. Now she’s on all social media platforms sharing all kinds of Nutmeg State goodness, with tens of thousands of people following along. Even she can’t believe it, as a self proclaimed introverted extrovert.

“I’m comfortable talking in front of an audience, I’m comfortable public speaking, but at my core I want to be cozied up watching The Traitors with my kids on TV. I still get shy when people are like, “Oh Hi.” She admits she’s still getting used to being recognized and having people strike up conversations with her when she’s out and about.

When asked about some of her favorite hot spots in the area, first came to mind Newbrook Kitchen, a swanky supper club in Cheshire. Also Le Mazet, a French inspired restaurant right here in town. Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun are both high up on the list. For family fun they love Action Wildlife in Goshen (where they got up close and personal with kangaroos and Highland calves), Mystic Aquarium, and the Connecticut Science Center in downtown Hartford. 

Ellie Doyle, Reheated Coffee Club, and her family enjoy Action Park in Goshen. Courtesy photo

“The Connecticut Science Center, all three of my kids love it, which is rare because of their age difference, that all three can have fun somewhere. They are obsessed.”

In addition to sharing her favorite local finds and growing her online presence (which currently includes more than 52,000 followers on Instagram), she’s hoping to launch a podcast soon. “It’s going to be like movers and shakers in CT, people who are making this state special. I want to find people, even outside of CT, that people would enjoy listening to because they have an interesting story or they’re doing something impactful for their community.”

She’s also excited to explore other fellow New England states, like Vermont and New Hampshire; both she hasn’t visited yet. And as for all her southern friends who questioned her move up north, well, they’re not saying that anymore.

“They see my page and they can’t wait to visit. In fact, my best friend from St Augustine came up to visit me for my birthday, and we had so much fun. She wants to move up here now too! She said it’s like being in a Hallmark movie.”

In addition to Instagram, Doyle has a large following on TikTok, and a presence on YouTube and Facebook as well.

Ellie Doyle of Reheated Coffee Club and Melissa Cole. Courtesy photo

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