Sipping on a freshly brewed cup of their flagship coffee blend, All Day ADK, Matt Pfeifer, Co-Founder of Upstate Coffee Collective, said that if he had the opportunity to connect with every single one of the million people that live across CapNY, he would be able to spread the value of drinking ethically sourced, carefully crafted coffee.
Coffee & Community
The small business venture started when Kevin Miner, co-founder of Upstate Coffee Collective, invited his longtime friend Matt to kru Coffee in Saratoga Springs. Kevin worked at kru for free in exchange for learning the ins-and-outs of coffee science & culture. He shared his knowledge with Matt — the science, method, and trial & error behind that caffeine deliciousness. Both passionate about coffee culture, they decided to form a small coffee club. VOILA! The Upstate Coffee Collective community was born.
The Pandemic & The Pivot
The community quickly grew. About 30 people a month were showing up to their gatherings all across CapNY to taste and learn more about coffee, but then Covid hit. They pivoted, developed a website and a podcast where they shine a spotlight on people in CapNY doing cool things through the lens of coffee. They also set up an online retail store with highlights of special roasts and stories of its origins, producers and roasters. Matt said, “So many hands touch coffee on the way to your cup; the farmers are making a living on this agriculture, and we need to tell their stories.”
CapNY Entrepreneurship
When asked what role community has played in the development of the business and concept, Matt said, “Other CapNY coffee shop owners have been very supportive and are happy we’re chasing our dreams. They support us and we support them. It didn’t take much for me to make valuable business connections. People are so willing to hear your story and learn about your startup. I believe CapNY is in its infancy for major transformation in entrepreneurship…what we have now is incredible, but I see the possibility of something greater on the horizon.”
Connect with Upstate Coffee Collective!
Website
Phone: (518) 391-5773
Email
FB / IG
Photo credit: Kieran Mangels and Nick Rovazzini
Want to learn more about coffee? Read their blog, listen to their podcast, and check out their YouTube channel!
