LEWISTON – Paul Spellman is an entrepreneur with a nose for business … and coffee.

His favorite brew: Santa’s White Christmas Coffee, a sweet mixture of cocoa-powder-coated coffee beans with a hint of vanilla.

Up until now, he’s had to go to Macy’s in New York City for a cup of his favorite joe, the site of the nearest Barnie’s Coffee and Tea Co., a Florida-based gourmet coffee chain.

But on Feb. 10, Spellman will open his own Barnie’s franchise, two doors down from Fish Bones in Mill No. 6 at the Bates Mill complex.

“I like the coffee, I like the concept,” said Spellman, who is also a founding partner of Federal Distributors.

“I really saw a need for something such as this at Bates Mill.”

Barnie’s Coffee and Tea Co. and Cafe will be the first Barnie’s franchise in New England, said Spellman. He was drawn to a Bates location because of the mix of businesses and the 2,500 employees who work there.

“I drive by it daily,” he said of the mill complex. “I liked what I saw being done there.”

The coffee shop will anchor the southeast corner of Mill No. 6 where leather couches will be arranged around a small wood stove.

The huge wooden ceiling beams, deep, arched windows and brick walls make for a perfect klatch to sip a cappuccino or slurp a 100 percent Arabica bean coffee.

Spellman plans to offer 24 varieties of coffee, plus soup, salads, sandwiches and baked goods.

He’ll be contracting with Heather’s Bakery in Auburn for the sweets and getting bread from Borealis.

The offerings run from simple make-your-own combo sandwiches or wraps to roast-beef-and-boursin on ciabatta and three-cheese-and-tomato grilled panini.

Curried chicken salad and a cafe salad featuring avocado and crabmeat also give the menu a distinct flavor.

If coffee isn’t your beverage of choice, not to worry. Chai, hot chocolate, tea, espresso, latte and cappuccino will also be available – the latter three served up by a barista in a special section of the cafe.

“We’ll be partnering with L/A Arts for an ‘Art and Java’ program where local artists can display their work,” Spellman said.

There will also be a section of the cafe for coffee-related novelty items and products like mugs, coffee makers and French presses. The cafe occupies 2,000 square feet – on the bigger side of a Barnie’s franchise – and Spellman is considering leasing more space for a private conference room to the rear of the cafe.

There will be seating for about 30 in the main section of the cafe. Spellman hopes to put some umbrellaed tables on a patio outside the shop for al fresco fare and the entire shop will be wired for Web access.

And, in a departure for downtown businessmen, Spellman said he doesn’t expect parking will be an issue. There’s plenty of on-site parking in the lot that he shares with Fish Bones, which isn’t open during lunch hours. And his business model is based heavily on the employees already working at the mill.

“A majority of our customers have already parked their cars,” he said, surveying the Bates Mill complex.

“There are other (cafe) options around, but still too few relative to the number of people working here,” he said. “I’ve had a lot of people say ‘When are you opening, because we’re ready’.”

What: Barnie’s Coffee and Tea Co. and Cafe

Where: 70 Lincoln St., Lewiston

Hours: 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., Monday through Friday; Saturday and Sunday 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Contact: 777-1111; www.redlineroasters.com