It’s not a Starbucks. Forget Panera. And never mind about Atlanta Bread Co. Cuppy’s Coffee, Smoothies & More has signed a lease to become the first retail tenant at Carriage City Plaza. The Fort Walton Beach, Fla.-based national chain doesn’t have much of a presence in New Jersey (or the Northeast), but has locations “coming soon” to East Brunswick, Phillipsburg and Whippany.
In fact, none of the aforementioned coffee franchises were even in the running at Carriage City since the retail space for a coffee shop does not allow for a kitchen. Also, Intercontinental Hotels Group, which operates Hotel Indigo, has an exclusive license agreement with Starbucks, which will be served in the Golden Bean and Phi Lounger, located in the hotel lobby.
Other retail tenants for Carriage City Plaza are expected to be a dry cleaner, salon and day spa, fitness center and a “well-known New Jersey-based restaurant brand.”
Hmmm… A franchise. Well, I don’t want to be too negative just yet, so I shall welcome them with an open mind and open wallet (at least 2 bucks worth).Some of the pictures on that franchise link do make me feel somewhat ill though. They distance themselves from Starbucks and the “cookie cutter” approach, yet from the looks of things, this is exactly what they’re trying to become. Ok, I lied; I’m being a little negative. I just don’t want to see Rahway turn into block after block of Raving Brands-like franchises. Anyhow, welcome, Cuppy’s! Not sure you’ll be a daily, pre-train stop or a place for a weekend morning walk (beats the drive-thru at Dunkin Donuts on Rte. 1), but I’m rootin’ for ya.P.S. Doug, or whoever is gonna run the joint in Rahway, don’t forget the wi-fi.
you want a bunch of shitty local places? whats wrong with you
Trail Mix Latte? This ain’t a coffee joint, its a kiddie ride.I am sure with all the Skyview residents, the lines will be out the door every morning…
Yes Mr. Anonymous, that’s exactly what I want.Your opinion for a pre-fab town in a box is certainly welcome as well.Read paragraph #4 again.
I have to admit I’m also a bit disappointed. I don’t know Cuppy’s but I hope they are as welcoming, clean, with comfortable sitting (unline Dunkin Donuts), and inviting to come in and sit down as Starbucks or Panera’s would be (or a cool and hip family-owned café would be).
I am not a coffee drinker so I guess I am not privvy to the Starbuck’s and DD’s, etc. But once in a while I accompany friends into these establishments and hate coming out smelling like a coffee roast. Maybe people who drink the stuff don’t mind it or are used to it but the less time I spend in these places the better. And what is the fun in sitting at a table drinking coffee? Go out and experience the world!
A corporate coffee place is no big shock… whoever moves in there will experience a few years of losses before establishing a foothold and most independent coffee places couldn’t weather such a storm. Since mainstream America is finally waking up to the fact that $4 lattes are an occasional luxury, not a daily necessity, this is hardly the climate to be opening up a coffee shop (corporate or independent).How many residents will Skyview hold and will they have the disposable income to sustain a coffee place?
you think you are so smart ncr and always have nothing good to say.. how dumb do u have to be to not realize the traffic that walks up next to it everyday to the train station
Mr. or Ms. Anonymous -Instead of hating, maybe you could provide some facts on the number of NJT riders and a rough guess on how many of them would stop for a cup at Cuppy’s rather than learn how to use their home coffeemakers. I’m skeptical that the Rahway demographic at this time can support a coffee shop even with Skyview packed to the gills with yuppies and empty nesters. Consumers are feeling the pinch of $4 gas and rocketing grocery bills – luxuries are the first to go under such circumstances. I wish the owners of the Cuppy’s franchise the best of luck – hopefully they’re backed with enough cash to get through the first few years.
yea itll be a miracle if this drink a cup of coffee in the morning trend catches on with these handicapped by gas prices people who ride the train to work everyday
Personally I’m pumped about Cuppy’s. I definitey am a smoothie drinker so the fact that they serve those along with coffee is a big plus for me. P.S. What’s with all the negativity?
I’m with Larry on this one. I’ll keep an open mind and hope that Cuppy’s turns out to be a cool coffee shop, although it’s hard to come away from their website with that impression.As to the question “What’s the fun in sitting in a coffee shop drinking coffee?” Coffee shops are great places to hang out, chat, read the paper, grab a light snack, or even work on a laptop. Sorta like a place to sit back and relax away from home.NCR – I always appreciate your negativity, but I think you’re pushing the gas-prices-will-suck-up-all-disposable-income a little too far. You can’t go wrong betting against Americans’ love of splurging on little treats for themselves, and that includes buying a cup o’ joe or a smoothie despite being able to make either at home for a lot less. Not to mention, the downtown residents won’t exactly be prisoners to high gas prices if most are commuting to NYC on the train for work.But: “the retail space for a coffee shop does not allow for a kitchen”I don’t understand the logic in making a retail space that is incompatible with a Starbucks franchise knowing you’re going to want to put some sort of coffee shop type place in there. Why build limitations like that into your retail space?Anyway, I’m looking forward to seeing what this Cuppy’s place is all about. Hopefully, it’s better than their website.
Mr or Ms Anonymous,Last time I checked NJT wasn’t giving away train passes. A one month pass from Rahway to Penn is $198. It’s cheaper to drive in every day (assuming a 30 mpg sedan) strictly making the gas vs. train fare comparison. Now after including car payments (or that BMW lease!), tolls, parking, wear and tear, and anger management therapy to cope with road rage, I will concede that the train is the more economical solution in most cases.Gas prices are a symptom of a weak US dollar and tightening energy supplies. Even if you don’t drive to work, you’re still paying more for just about everything. Have you been to a grocery store or Target lately? Deodorant was $1.79, now it’s closing in on $4. I never bothered checking prices on bread because it was so cheap, now I’m lucky to find it for $2.50 on sale. It’s not so much inflation as it is a decline in our living standards (another story for another day). In a climate such as ours, a hypothetical latte-sipping Skyview resident might think twice about plunking down $2-4 daily at Cuppy’s or any coffee place for that matter, even Starbucks.Matthew – umm, thanks for the compliment, I think! Sure, who doesn’t love a smoothie once in a while or surfing the net while chatting up the barista? If they can make a profit by selling to the occasional splurger, they’ll be ok. If they planned on legions of Skyview residents stopping in for their lattes before their 30 minute NYC train rides, I think that’s a recipe for trouble.
While Reggie’s Roast and Moca motion were both before my time (and pre-current recession or whatever they’re calling it) in Rahway, does having the Skyview really change the playing field that much? I think the same factors that couldn’t sustain places like those in the past are the same ones that will likely cause any new place to struggle until the neighborhood is more established. I think one of the few things some of us can agree on around here is that it’s not 1 or 2 years out and likely more than that. But inevitable.I’m not here to be down on (Insert coffee establishment name here), but merely the the idea of it. It wouldn’t matter if it was a Starbucks or Cuppy’s or any independent. If we really wanted to go nuts and I surely don’t have the time, someone would know the going rent and how many <$4 transactions you'd need to stay afloat, or at least turn a small profit. This brings us back to the commuters and having one of the busiest stations along the corridor making this sound like a no-brainer. We commuters are funny people and are creatures of habit. Look at what time we all show up, and where we stand on the platform. Lots of familiarity going on there. Only time will tell if people are willing to break their current routines of showing up to the station with a home brew, or from the drive-thru DD. Will they adjust their schedules to get to the parking garage 3 minutes earlier to wait in line for Cuppy’s?
I’m looking forward to giving Cuppy’s a chance. At least it’s pretty new to the area and something different. And if it goes under then so be it, something else will pop out. No need to pop a vein over it.NCR – You had said that the train is more economical than a car in “most cases”. I’m curious to find out when you think it’s more economical to take a car from Rahway to NYC instead of the train?I’m a downtown resident and spend about $50 a month on gas. Even if I pay an extra $50 a month for indirect gas prices (like higher bread and deodorant in your example) it still doesn’t impact me that much. So order me up an extra large Cuppys!
Scott -Ask and you shall receive. Let’s assume a 30 mpg car, gas at $4 per gallon, $12 in tolls, and $15 per day to park in an employer-subsidized garage. That’s $35 per day to go in and come back. For one or two people, the train makes sense under such conditions. Add in a third or fourth carpooler, and reduce or eliminate the parking costs somehow, and the math starts to make driving an economical proposition. It just depends on whether traffic jams in a car or NJT delays on a train are your preference. Granted, this scenario is a stretch, but I know people who carpooled into NYC for decades from NJ suburbs because it was less hassle and more economical than NJT (or break-even). Hospital workers and others with non-standard hours might find that driving works better if the train schedules don’t match their shifts.
Sheesh, I think some of you must have slurped down a few too many cuppa joes because you sure are cranky when discussing this post ;-)Cuppy’s has to be a step up from the “coffee” poured from ancient, stained pots at some of the more traditional establishments downtown.I mean, the quality of coffee in downtown Rahway can only go up at this point.
Oh ok, so it MIGHT make economical sense IF I have 4 people in my car, get subsidized parking, there is no traffic, and I work the midnight shift at a hospital. Riiiight. How could I have questioned your logic.
Scott,You asked me to give an example of a situation where NJT might not make economical sense. I obliged, without getting into scenarios involving park and ride at the Meadowlands or Secaucus. I hope you enjoy many delicious cups of coffee on your way to the city on NJT. With your 30 minute train ride, your coffee may very well stay hot by the time you step off the train. If you want to drop $40 per month on coffee ($2 per day, 20 commuting days per month, higher cost if you’re a latte or espresso drinker), that’s your decision. It’s only money. I’ll be happy using my coffee maker at home and spending $8 a month on beans, with the occasional splurge on DD, Starbucks, or Cuppy’s.
Thank you for showing everyone how to save $32 dollars. Making your own coffee instead of buying it. Amazing. Don’t share this secret with too many people though or you might make a dent into the $9 billion revenue of Starbucks.
I’m impressed by your math skills, Scott. I estimate that I save $40 per month on coffee at home vs. buying it after including weekends. That’s nearly $500 per year in savings. I recently replaced my coffee maker after 5 years of service. I paid $70 for it. It saved me $2430 over its lifetime. If you saw $2430 laying on the ground, you’d pick it up. Granted, I don’t look as cool with my thermos as you do with your cup from a chain, but I prefer not living on cat food when I retire.
Why is everyone getting so verklempt?On this blog we talk about coffee, Rahway, dawgs, dawters, you know no big whoop… just Coffee Talk.
Mark, see what happens when you start a blog? nice going.
NCR – again you seem to miss the point. You can save money doing lots of things – don’t use lights, don’t use an air conditioner, don’t go out to dinner, don’t do anything!! Think how much money you’d save if you did nothing! Not everyone is as miserable as you though and some peeople like to spend a little extra cash for something that makes them happy, like a morning coffee. You should try doing something a little extra to make yourself happier so we won’t have to read your miserable posts anymore.
Scott, don’t worry about me. I have plenty to be happy about. If a daily pit stop makes you happy, I’m not standing in your way. Understand though, that the coffee chains aren’t selling you coffee: they’re selling you happiness. You’ve decided that $2-$3 per day for the experience of waiting in line, choosing from a variety of flavors (instead of whatever was on sale at the grocery store), flirting with the girl pouring coffee, and looking cool waiting for the train is worth it. Cuppy’s, and all coffee places really, are betting that enough people make that decision to generate profits for the store. I just try to spend wisely and practice habits that will hopefully lead to some degree of financial independence in a few years, and $2-$3 per day on coffee doesn’t fit into that plan. As a result I have plenty of money for vacations, occasional dinners out, and other fun stuff (like a Pottery Barn sofa for my corrugated tin shack).
Wow everybody is so ticked off about buying coffee in the morning!!!! All I can say is when im waiting for the train I’d like at least the option of buying fresh coffee if I didnt have the time to make it at home. Stop and smell the roses people…also if you look down from the north end of the train platform they spelled Rahway in marigolds! Oh the little things in life that should make us happy!!!!!!!!
screw the coffie go get a black russian at the room. looks like coffie and gives you a buzz,lol. can you say belly up the first year just like all the other joints.
Hmmm. There goes my idea of opening up a smoothie joint!