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Uptown Coffee Bar & The Coffee Maker Cater To Local Residents Looking For Community & Good Coffee
By Anne Carroll
Americans are addicted to coffee. Big players like Starbucks figured that out and turned caffeine into a pastime, especially with a younger customer base. But for the past decade or so, independent coffee houses have been emerging on the scene with coffee at its core but with strategic add-ons: local vibes, micro roasters, better pastries, community-based events.
The local coffee shop is poised to be America’s living room, again.
That said, it’s not easy to go up against the corporate juggernauts like Dunkin’ and Starbucks. Dunkin’ has more than 13,200 restaurants globally and is the largest coffee and donuts brand in the United States. Starbucks is even larger with more than 35,000 stores around the world, and has grown its value exponentially from a stock price of $17 (worth $5,952 today) when it first went public in 1992.
Many say the corporate giants have strayed from their focus on coffee and cater instead to a younger crowd seeking sugary drinks and coffee concoctions. Notably, Starbucks reports a decline in sales, traffic, and profits both here and abroad, and announced its working on a turn-around plan for 2025. The industry leader can afford to recalibrate. In contrast, local shops have to get it right faster. They need to understand the market, come up with a strategic plan, and know if and when to pivot.
The recently opened independently-owned Uptown Coffee Bar in West Nyack and The Coffee Maker in New City both say there’s a place for both the corporate entities and the independents. Tailoring the experience and building community are the key strategies for making it work.
Marc Kaplan recently opened Uptown Coffee Bar (130 Route 303) across from the The Palisades Center. He believes he can succeed by tapping into what he calls “the younger multicultural consumer” base in Rockland. After examining the demographics, Kaplan decided to add products like dulce de leche lattes, empanadas, and churros to his menu. He also plays music such as hip hop, Afrobeat, and reggae in the shop to reflect the county’s large Hispanic, black, and West Indian populations.
Along with being young and multicultural, Uptown Coffee Bar positions itself as a local New York brand by embracing the street culture of New York City. It has been partnering with a streetwear brand from Spring Valley, New York is a Nationality, for merchandise projects and events. Kaplan also has visions of collaborating with others from Rockland to put on events such as art shows and open mics in the future.
Combining the young, multicultural New York vibe he’s cultivated, Kaplan is poised to give Uptown Coffee Bar a strong operational base that can stand toe-to-toe with more established brands, he says. Having worked at another independent coffee shop and a Starbucks gives him an edge: he understood how to layout his shop, what equipment he needed, best industry practices. Uptown Coffee Bar also uses coffee beans from the specialty roaster La Colombe, which adds to the caché of his product mix. Kaplan hopes “to be at the leading edge of flavor trends,” another way to distinguish Uptown Coffee Bar.
John Sofia situated his coffee shop The Coffee Maker (78 Maple Avenue) in New City in the heart of Clarkstown’s business and government center. The shop is not on Main Street but it’s steps away from Clarkstown Town Hall, the police department and Justice Court, and a short distance from the Rockland County government complex. While there’s a nearby Starbucks on Main Street and a recently opened location on Route 304, The Coffee Maker is a “hub for the neighborhood,” with its intimate, inviting space and fresh healthy menu.
As for the corporate coffee titans, Sofia says he doesn’t “pay too much attention to that.” He believes local shops “should all work together” and “help each other out.”
Sofia doesn’t view the giants as competition; he approaches his shop as a mission “for the love of coffee” and a mandate “to interact with the community.” The Coffee Maker brews with in-house roasted coffee beans. Instead of roasting in bulk, The Coffee Maker micro roasts coffee beans imported from places Brazil, Colombia, and Ethiopia. Micro roasting keeps the coffee fresh, which he says is an advantage. Alongside beverages, The Coffee Maker offers light pastries as well as organic syrups, smoothies, and dog treats.
The Coffee Maker plans to host educational events such as a “roast along,” where the shop will teach people about the history and process of coffee bean roasting. Given his enthusiasm for America’s “fuel,” Sofia loves to engage with anyone on the topic. He believes it’s important for towns to have coffee shops as “a centralized hub in the community” where people can meet old friends, make new friends, and relax. Think Cheers, only more upbeat.
Kaplan says by tailoring Uptown Coffee Bar to the young multicultural community in Rockland, he’s benefitting from Starbucks’ drift. He added he’s “very proud to say that a lot of the customers who are coming to us are former Starbucks customers who say that they prefer our coffee, but more importantly they prefer our brand.”
Sofia too feels “very blessed” to give the community “a happy place for people.”
He added, “That’s my most important goal.”
In contrast to fast food business models that aim to appeal broadly and market more generically, locals in coffee or any industry, seize the edge by personalizing the environment, shaping localized marketing plans, and humanizing a hangout where everyone may eventually know your name.
