By LINDSAY OLIVIER

NORTH KINGSTOWN – Don’t let the full parking fool you. When you go into Jitter’s Café, they’ll have you in and out in no time. 

That’s been their motto for 10 years, “keep moving.”

By LINDSAY OLIVIER

NORTH KINGSTOWN – Don’t let the full parking fool you. When you go into Jitter’s Café, they’ll have you in and out in no time. 

That’s been their motto for 10 years, “keep moving.”

August 17th will mark the 10th anniversary of Jitter’s Café at 530 Tower Hill Rd. and business couldn’t be better. 

For the past decade, it seems by the lines, which sometime stretch out the door, that people just can’t just drive pass Jitter’s without stopping and getting a ice or hot coffee.

West Greenwich residents Ray and Sue Osbrey started the modest coffee shop on a whim.

“Sue had worked for the previous owners, Peaches Uptown Bakery, and when it went out of business, the building was vacant and we just jumped on it,” said Ray.

Ten years ago, Ray worked for Toray Plastics and Sue was working towards her tax license.

“I was talking to a lawyer and he mentioned he had the ‘jitters’ and I thought ‘that’s it, that’s the name of the shop,’” said Sue.

Ray had no cooking or coffee making skills and Sue didn’t have many more, but they took it day by day and learned a great deal.

“We knew nothing coming into this situation. We just went for it and waited to see what happened. We had some girls from Peaches teach us some baking skills but everything else we learned on our own,” said Ray.

  All the baking takes place at the shop where the muffins, scones, cinnamon buns, turnovers and other pastries are homemade. The bagels are shipped in from Bagelz, which is located in Kingston. 

“We found Borelli’s in Coventry has the best spinach pies. We get pastries from around Rhode Island and then we add our own taste maybe it’s with frosting or other ingredients. We try to make it our own,” said Ray.

In the last few years, Jitter’s has added a deli menu including Hawaiian tuna, thanksgiving, bacon chicken salad just to name a few. They offer wraps and a “build a sandwich’ option.

“The deli has taken off great. We had no idea what we were doing but it’s turned out awesome,” said Sue.

As with any successful business, Jitter’s has benefited from its location. 

Regulars include countless students from nearby North Kingstown High School, as well as the police and fire departments.

 But with all the ‘other’ coffee shops in town how does Jitter’s beat the competition?

“We’re surrounded by coffee shops but I think what makes us different is that we’re not a chain and we offer the community something different besides the normal coffee and donut. We have made Wickford our niche. Without this community it would be impossible to grow,” said Sue.   

Ray added, “What makes this place fun is that people come here for something they want not something they need so you see smiles on everyone’s faces.”

Among the regulars, Jitter’s has seen some famous people and have had five minutes of fame.

“We just had (offensive tackle) Wesley Britt from the Patriots stop in last week, Dustin Hoffman, James Gandolfini and Billy Gillman have been in. And local celebrities like Pat Masters, the Cardi brothers and some politicians. There has also been a sighting of Jodi Foster,” said Ray.

“Honey, I think that was one of my girlfriends, she sort of looks like her,” laughed Sue.

Jitter’s was mentioned in a Sorrell Ames novel. The coffee shop was also a scene in two movies by director Steve Geller and was showcased in the Newport Film Festival.  

The shop was just named 2007 Best CoffeeHouse from Warwick to Westerly, which was voted on by more than 25,000 Southern Rhode Island newspaper readers.  

So what’s in store for the next decade at Jitter’s? Well, good coffee and service seem to be a certainty.

“This doesn’t seem like a real job to me. It’s still fun to go to work and it hasn’t gotten old. What job has you hanging out in a coffee shop and chatting with friends? It’s great,” said Ray.

For more information on Jitter’s Café call 295-9155. For a fax copy of the menu fax to 667-3826.