The newest location of the locally owned Riverside Roastery and Espresso chain is near a lake, not a river.

The chain is named for its first Maryland location, which overlooked the Tiber River on Main Street in Ellicott City.

Mike Lentz, who owns the shops with his wife, Jill, recently sold the Ellicott City location to a former manager, who changed the name to Bean Hollow. Lentz opened a new location in the American City Building, near Columbia's Lake Kittamaqundi.

There are now three Riverside locations, all in Columbia and none near a river. The others are on Centre Park Drive and on Stanford Boulevard.

The Wincopin Circle location, which opened Nov. 3, is the last one planned, Lentz said. The couple opened the Ellicott City location in 1993, the year they moved to Maryland, and have since opened and sold locations in Frederick and Hickory Ridge Drive in Columbia.

For now, they like having the three coffee shops in proximity, Lentz said.

All the locations offer sandwiches, soups, salads, pastries and a variety of coffee drinks in a cozy atmosphere. In the new location, a grouping of leather chairs surrounds a coffee table in a sunlit corner. On a recent weekday afternoon, jazz music played softly as customers read books or tapped away on laptops while sipping drinks and nibbling muffins.

The large windows, wood floors and handwritten menus contribute to the relaxed environment. "It's a nice, casual atmosphere," Lentz said, adding that customers know they can linger even after they are done eating and drinking.

The menu is the same at all locations. Sandwiches include shrimp salad, made with Old Bay; a "power sandwich" with humus, Swiss cheese and vegetables; and peanut butter and jelly.

The soups change daily, but always include one vegetarian option and one with meat, Lentz said. Varieties include potato and leek, seafood chowder and lentil. "The soups are really fabulous," he said. "We've been running out of our soups almost every day since we opened."

Pastries arrive daily from a vendor that Lentz declined to name: "A lot of people would like to know where I get my pastries," he said. They include scones, muffins and rugelach, a Jewish treat made of rolled dough and a sweet filling.

And, of course, there are the beverages. The coffee is roasted on the premises of the other Riverside restaurants and is available in many flavors. Cappuccinos, lattes, chai teas and hot chocolates are also available.

Hot and cold drinks can be flavored with syrups. The lengthy listing of flavors on the chalkboard includes cinnamon, praline, peach, cherry, kiwi and vanilla. The fruit flavors are popular for frozen Italian sodas, which consist of the flavorings and club soda and ice, Lentz said. For a creamy drink, he often adds half-and-half, he said.

Lentz said one reason that customers prefer his shop to the big chains is that it is locally owned. Also, he said, he offers a larger selection of food than other coffee shops, but the environment is more relaxed than in a restaurant.

Customers know they can linger at the table "without being interrupted five times," he said.

Riverside

Where:10227 Wincopin Circle, Suite G-16, Columbia; 410-772-3694.

Hours: 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week; will extend to 10 p.m. during the spring and summer.

Prices: Sandwiches range from $1.60 to $7.50

Credit cards: Visa, MasterCard, American Express