With a little over a week since opening and taking part in the “We Still Lit’’ festival on June 3, Betty’s Snack Bar has brought in new food, new paint and a new atmosphere to the former shell of the Liberty Street Bistro. The cafe, food market and anticipated sit down eatery is owned by partners Jim Mamary and Doria Paci.

The Betty’s Snack Bar name, according to Mamary, was after an actual food business that was woman-owned and operated for two decades. The purpose of the name was to give the business its own identity and significance rather than having something more generic. For Mamary, his purpose with each new space is that it serves the local community from the workers to the everyday commuter. “The idea I kept telling Doria was we need a place where people come every day, not once a week,” said Mamary. “You can deliver great quality at a reasonable price and that’s what I’m trying to do. It has to become a place where you want to go.”

For the former bistro space, the space has taken about five months to redecorate, renovate and redesign according to what the partners were looking for. Mamary, originally from Brooklyn, and Paci, originally from the Wappingers area, both come from a bar/restaurant industry background having worked in various food and beverage locations in New York City.

“It [Newburgh] doesn’t need a bar that’s open on Tuesday and Wednesday. I mean, that would be great because everybody wants a bar, but it needs more than that. It needs a grocery,” said Paci. “We need to have a place where we can go buy milk if you run out.”

With shades of yellow and red and new wallpaper for the space, a new cafe space offers coffees, sweets and other sandwiches for customers. In the back part of the space is a small grocery section for customers to shop for their daily essentials. The sit down eating area is still getting some touches down but is anticipated to be ready for the summer. “The reception we’ve gotten so far has been much more than I anticipated. Been getting a lot of support from a lot of locals. We have a lot of repeat customers already,” said Mamary.

For Mamary today, the City of Newburgh has become his new home after leaving the New Jersey area and both partners look forward to seeing what the business will do for the community. The potential for catering options and to go food options are a possibility with the kitchen that Bettys has at its disposal. A place where everyone is known by their name and customers are served quality food is the hope for Betty’s as it begins its journey. The storefront is currently hiring for various positions such as cooks, waiters, and baristas and is open seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.