Plattsburgh’s daily coffee grind
The Grind
Whether you are someone who likes the taste of a strong and bitter coffee that jolts you awake, or you like your coffee as sweet as Willy Wonka’s candy, there is a cafe for everyone.
The Koffee Kat
“The Koffee Kat took on a personality of its own pretty quickly within the 27 years I’ve had it,” says Patty Waldron, the Koffee Kat’s owner. “I really wanted to feature the locals, so it’s really a hub.”
Walking through the doors of the coffee shop, customers enter a world of bright colors and shining personalities. The ceiling is painted purple, yellow and orange. The purple matches the large piano, which sits in the middle of the shop. It is snuggled between the barista’s station and a small stage for live music.
When walking past the tables, you can hear faint conversations and the soft hum of music. The music ranges from recent pop songs to old country classics and everything in between. It matches the idea that the Koffee Kat is a place for everyone.
The two best selling drinks are the White Cloud Mocha and the French Toast Latte. The White Cloud Mocha is a latte with a splash of mocha syrup. It has a soft and subtle coffee flavor and white chocolate chips placed on a sweet cloud of whipped cream.
“I like the caffeine in coffee but don’t like the taste of it,” says Krista Novello, a Plattsburgh student who has made the Koffee Kat her go-to coffee shop.
The French Toast Latte is a contrast to the store’s other favorite drink. With cinnamon sprinkled in a heart shape on the top, the drink has more of a bitter taste to it. It tastes like a full french toast breakfast with a side of coffee mixed all together.
Novello explains the reason she continually goes to the Koffee Kat. It makes her feel a sense of belonging.
“I like to think that I’m a pretty happy person, and everytime I go to the Koffee Kat, the energy there just matches mine,” says Novello. “There is just such a positive energy that radiates throughout the entire store, and I love just taking in all of that energy.”
Adirondack Coffee Roasters
Dwane Bast and his wife, Krissie Bast, are the owners of a homey coffee shop. They roast and sell their own coffee beans. The roastery opened in 2007 after the couple moved from their espresso bar in Reno, NV. to Plattsburgh.
“We’ve loved coffee our whole lives, and when we moved to Plattsburgh, we wanted to find a way to bring fresh roasted coffee to the area,” says Bast.
The couple opened the cafe portion of the shop in 2013, and it has become a go-to for many individuals. Bast explains that the shop is meant to give off the warmth of being in a log cabin in the Adirondacks.
“We’ve got log cabin front counters and wooden iron shelving,” Bast says. “It’s kind of modern Adirondack.”
Adirondack Coffee Roasters has wooden tables and chairs to match the wooden shelving.
When customers walk into the shop, they are met with a wall of coffee dispensers. Each dispenser is self-serve so customers can bring home their own coffee beans. On the opposite wall is a Keurig Cup station where customers and baristas are able to pick out K-Cups of whatever flavor of coffee they’d like.
Bast explains how the beans are never more than 10 days old, and people can come in and grab a bag of beans to-go.
The intense smell of the coffee in the dispensers fills the air. The aroma tantalizes your senses as you wait for the barista to finish making your drink.
The most popular drink at Adirondack Coffee Roasters is the Caramel Turtle.
The Caramel Turtle is hot chocolate mixed with salted caramel coffee and hazelnut syrup. The hot chocolate softens the taste of the coffee, and the salted caramel is able to bring a soft sweetness. The hazelnut gives the drink a delicate flavor.
Adirondack Coffee Roasters is not usually a busy shop which means people can come in and have a quiet cup of coffee. It creates an oasis from any stress in their lives.
In the store, you are surrounded by the subtle sounds of cars passing by and the faint noise of the TV. You are left alone with your thoughts to peacefully sip.
Chapter One
Chapter One is a cafe in downtown Plattsburgh that transports coffee lovers to a busy New York City style coffee shop the second you step through its doors. The energy is cheerful and matches the personality of its owner, Tracy Vicory-Rosenquest, perfectly.
While living in Seattle, Vicory-Rosenquest developed a passion for brewing and sipping. When she moved to Plattsburgh, she decided to open Chapter One.
Vicory-Rosenquest originally opened the coffee shop in the Plattsburgh Public Library, but it relocated to its current space, 30 City Hall Place, in July of 2020.
Many students have made this their everyday coffee shop & stop. Students rush through the Chapter One doors in the mornings with their laptops and bags in one hand, while the other is ready to hold a drink. The influx of students and other community members buying their morning coffee from Chapter One creates a bustling scene that lasts from 9 to 10 a.m., as people shuffle through its wooden framed glass door every minute.
The coffee shop experiences surges throughout the day, which leaves the baristas and Vicory-Rosenquest without a moment of relaxation before the next rush.
Ashley St. John, a loyal customer, says, “I like going to Chapter One because it reminds me of the coffee shops in [New York City]. It’s just such a cute and trendy cafe.”
The detailed white-tile ceiling, the contemporary portraits and abstract art pieces that fill the entire cafe catch people’s eyes. The smell that fills the room is as warm and welcoming as the coffee.
There are three tables with four seats each, a black rustic and industrial looking lamp sits on each tabletop and electric outlets are located on the walls next to the tables.
Vicory-Rosenquest is usually working behind the bar and greets each customer with a cheerful, “Hey, come on in.”
Her attitude helps brighten people’s days, and the coffee she makes is like a to-go container of happiness.
“It’s a science, and it’s very consistent in terms of how we brew and how we process every drink, so that the crafting of your dreams is consistent in every drink,” says Vicory-Rosenquest.
Chapter One has seasonal drinks and drinks of the month. The most popular drink in the winter is the Raspberry Mocha.
The Raspberry Mocha is a latte that has raspberry and chocolate syrup drizzled along the edges of the cup, with a dollop of whipped cream on top, and sprinkles that cover that cream. The combination of the syrups along with the taste of the coffee leaves your taste buds craving more.
Story and photos by Angelica Melara
