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Park Bros. Coffee Lab opens today in Potsdam

Posted 8/10/15

By MATT LINDSEY POTSDAM -- Park Bros. Coffee Lab opened today, Aug. 10, and will begin roasting coffee on-site this fall. The coffee lab offers a full service espresso bar that the owners say is not …

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Park Bros. Coffee Lab opens today in Potsdam

Posted

By MATT LINDSEY

POTSDAM -- Park Bros. Coffee Lab opened today, Aug. 10, and will begin roasting coffee on-site this fall.

The coffee lab offers a full service espresso bar that the owners say is not like any other in the North County.

Owners Gabe Ockrin, Potsdam, and Ryan Dunphey, Madrid, have been planning the opening of the coffee bar for a couple years and hope that through customer interaction they can complete their search for "the ultimate cup of coffee."

"We have a unique opinion on coffee and want to explore the nuances with customers," Dunphey said.

The new coffee shop is located at 1/2 Main St. in the former home of Main Street Chocolates across from the Clarkson Inn.

Local contractors including From the Heart Cabinetry and J&S Mechanical were hired to make changes to the interior of the building. Changes included replacing vintage windows and refinishing the hardwood floor. They chose the location for its high ceilings and large windows, which allows for lots of sunshine creating an inviting setting for customers.

Coffee will be roasted on site providing a fresher product to the customer. The roasting equipment should be installed early this fall.

"We want to invite the public into the conversation of roasting coffee," Dunphey said.

They plan to host cupping events and roasting training to provide the public with an educational experience in the world of coffee.

Dunphey and Ockrin call their new business a lab because they plan to experiment with the coffee-making process through customer input.

"We want to tinker with the coffee so that when customers come in they get a better more unique taste," Dunphey said.

The roasting machine is also eco-friendly. A filter captures emissions before they can be released into the environment.

The new coffee shop also is home to a Curtis Seraphim machine, which creates a single cup of coffee with "exact precision" and according to Dunphey, there are only 35 in the nation of which theirs is the only one in Northern New York.

Changes in flavor are affected by everything from temperature and grind setting.

They are in the process of hiring employees and will use seasoned Bagelry employees to ease the experience of opening a new business.

Their bakery, which already supplies both Bagelry shops, will also supply the Park Bros Coffee Lab. They will carry scones, muffins, cakes and other baked goods.

Tea will also be sold but don't expect a traditional tea bag inside of a cup.

Customers ordering tea will be given several items that look like part of a science experiment.

Drinking tea at the optimal temperature results in better flavor and teas vary, according to Dunphey.

Even with multiple major downtown businesses closing in the past year, Ockrin and Dunphey say that Potsdam is a “beautiful area” and that they are comfortable making "an investment in the community."

They will be open Monday through Saturday from 6 a.m. until 2 p.m. and have seating for about 30.

Seating on picnic tables is planned outside as well. The cafe will offer wifi and live music is planned in the future.

The coffee-making duo also owns The Bagelry restaurants in Potsdam and Canton.

The phone number is 836-4255 and their Facebopk page is www.facebook.com/parkbroscoffee?fref=ts.