If you live in or ever travel to Cooperstown you know Stagecoach Coffee (they also have a second location in downtown Albany). Or at least you should. It is where you’ll find not only the best fresh roasted coffee in Cooperstown but good eats and so much more.

Stagecoach is a family owned and operated business and the care and attention to details in their establishment is evident in their execution. From the moment you walk through the door you feel it. The staff is smiling. The vibe is local but also inviting to tourists, no small feat considering the tremendous influx of visitors Cooperstown sees in the summer. It’s hip but not pretentious. There’s gentle background music chill enough to not overwhelm but interesting enough to get a foot tapping. And the smell! If you enjoy coffee, you’re in the right place as your nose will confirm.

So how do they do it? How do they handle the diverse clientele so well, seemingly effortlessly, making all feel welcomed while also enjoying a fine cup of java? Good planning and execution.

Earlier this year, Matt Grady was kind enough to sit down for a brief chat so I could ask him some questions about Stagecoach and how they’ve been successful with their business.

I asked him what their three top challenges have been. Number one on his list was quality staffing and training. Matt shared that it’s an ongoing concern and expense.

Number two was employee turnover which of course impacts number one. Frankly I shudder to think about their hiring and scheduling challenges, especially for the summer months when Cooperstown’s population swells with families making the National Pastime Pilgrimage.

The third challenge that Matt identified was “consistency of the customer experience- products and staff.” I found this an extremely insightful glimpse of that intangible “it” that is felt when you walk through their door. My many experiences at Stagecoach have been consistently excellent; the coffee and food always tasty, and the staff, sincere and friendly and the ambiance comfortable. Whether the height of summer when tourists descend in great numbers to the ‘off-season’ when it’s just the locals, the experience at Stagecoach is consistently excellent.

And that folks is the way they plan it.

[This isn’t the first time we’ve written about Stagecoach.  We just can’t get enough of them.  You can read about Stagecoach’s 2013 expansion project and my original Stagecoach Cooperstown restaurant review too.  Now, it could just seem that we are caffeine addicts in a one cafe town, but part of what make’s Stagecoach amazing is that they continue to pursue excellence even without the threat of the coffee shop across the street.  The are a great coffee shop by any standard–and I’ve seen a lot of them in my travels.  It is a testament to Matt, Chris, and their team. –Devin]  
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