The Eight Types of People at Coffee Traders
The crowd at Saratoga's crunchiest coffee shop is anything if not predictable.
If you’ve spent any time at Saratoga’s big four coffee shops—Uncommon Grounds, Kru Coffee, Spot Coffee and Saratoga Coffee Traders—you know each one attracts a certain clientele. Uncommon has its core group of early-morning/every-morning old men, hungover 20-somethings rolling in around 10am on weekends, working people on the run, and, of course, tourists. Kru is, clearly, for the hipsters, coffee snobs and people who hate parallel parking. And Spot Coffee is a whole other west-side world that, honestly, is kind of hard to figure out—coffee and pizza? What’s the vibe? More on-the-ground research is needed to crack that case.
Saratoga Coffee Traders, though, I’ve got down pat. Since moving out of Downtown Saratoga to the far-off land of Northern Ballston Spa, SCT (do people call it that?) has become my Spa City home base, almost exclusively because I can bring my dog there. And, since I moved away and got the dog about a year ago, I’ve noticed some things—specifically, the eight types of people you’ll come across at Coffee Traders, and what to expect from each of them.
College Students in College Sweatshirts
One classic Coffee Traders customer is the college student. And how would anyone know their parents are rich enough to send them to Skidmore if they weren’t wearing the sweatshirt to prove it? OK, that’s a bit harsh—maybe they just like their school and like sweatshirts and found a parking spot on that side of Broadway. Skidmore is obviously the most represented higher ed institution, but on weekend mornings, you may also come across the occasional Siena, UAlbany or RPI sweatshirt. This crowd will ask to pet your dog.
Important Business Men
If you see a man on a phone or laptop sitting by himself on the left-hand wall when you walk in, do not approach! He is clearly an important businessman doing important work over his black dark roast, which he believes will provide him with the most possible caffeine to ensure maximum productivity. This crowd will not ask to pet your dog.
Girls for the ‘Gram
Last year, in a stroke of genius, SCT owner Scott Swedish began offering latte flights, which not only give samplers a chance to taste four different signature latte flavors but are also insanely Instagrammable. You can catch groups of girls in full-on photoshoot mode after 11am, once the flights go on sale. This crowd will ask to pet your dog.
The Crunchy Crowd
I’ve mentioned before that I went to college in Burlington, VT, and Coffee Traders is the sole Saratoga coffee shop that would fit in there. It’s laid back, it’s weird (there’s an inexplicable wall of candy?), there’s not a defined aesthetic, and the dueling tip jars on a recent half-off-latte Thursday invited customers to vote for how they prefer to position their toilet paper roll. For those reasons and more, SCT attracts somewhat of a granola/crunchy crowd. (Urban Dictionary defines granola as “Someone who tends to enjoy the outdoors, all while staying inside in their nice suburban middle-class white neighborhood.”) Expect these people to be wearing brands including but not limited to Prana, Blundstone and Chaco. This crowd will probably not ask to pet your dog.
The Greatest American Composer
This one isn’t exactly a crowd—it’s a singular person who is so frequently at Coffee Traders and so outrageous that he deserves his own category. If you are a young woman, expect to speak with him, and expect the conversation to focus on four main topics: What he likes about you (your hair, your dog, your yoga pants), whether or not you are “singy” (his word for single), Jesus Christ (and whether or not you are Christian), and finally, the fact that he is the actually greatest American composer of our era, in his humble opinion (if you’re lucky, he’ll even play one of his compositions for you). Thankfully, this man will not ask to pet your dog. If he does, probably don’t let him.
55+ Dog Lovers
If you have a dog, the 55+ Dog Lovers of Coffee Traders will seek you out. Seeing your pup is quite possibly the highlight of their day, and, whether they have a dog of their own or not, you’ll probably exchange Fido facts (name, age, breed, etc). In some cases, the 55+ Dog Lover will have treats in his or her pocket, and ask politely to give your dog some. In other cases, the 55+ Dog Lover will have just had to put his own dog down, and petting your pup will be an emotional experience. It goes without saying that this crowd will ask to pet your dog.
Moms With Babies and/or Dogs
When the late morning rolls around, the strollers roll up. The new moms of Saratoga are looking for a reason to get out of the house, and a walk Downtown to Coffee Traders is the perfect excuse. They don’t need you to open the door for them—they’re pros by now. This crowd will not ask to pet your dog; they’ve got enough to deal with.
The Regulars
Walks in with headphones around his/her neck, pulls out a reusable Coffee Traders–branded mug, wears slippers…all of these are tell-tale signs of a SCT regular. Some, including downtown business owners Alessandra Bange-Hall and Matt Bagley, will be in and out. Others are there for the long haul (a.k.a. breakfast which turns into lunch). This crowd may ask to pet your dog.
Now, by no means is this a comprehensive list. Other harder-to-discern crowds include people who saw the line at Uncommon and said “no way,” people who are there fishing for dog compliments (me), vegans (me again), and hunched-over people wearing baseball hats to hide the fact that they are literally writing a story about the people sitting right next to them (yes, obviously, me). And while there are countless “types” of people who go to Coffee Traders, they’re all there for one main reason: the high-quality coffee, food, staff and vibe.
—Natalie
Quote of the week
“I’m in the process of changing all my shoes to platform.”
—Anjelika “Jelly” Joseph, who will be performing at this years’ Freihofer’s Saratoga Jazz Festival with the band Galactic (read about them in our upcoming summer issue)
Carnival Ride
Last Saturday evening, AIM Services debuted a brand-new fundraising event: Carnival, held at Vapor. Featuring Latin music, Brazilian street food and dancing, the night was a huge success, bringing in more than $80,000 for AIM, which provides services to people with physical and intellectual disabilities. Some attendees included Stewart’s Shops CEO Gary Dake, Skidmore President Marc C. Conner, Two Buttons Deep personalities Taylor and Jack, retired jockey and Capital Region Gives Back alum Ramón Domínguez, Leigh and gala-goer Kimberly McConchie, Bocage co-owner and Overdress to Impress judge Clark Gale, Palette owner Catherine Hover, Capital Heart Connection co-owner Becky Daniels, former Saratoga Living owners Harry and Maria Bucciferro, and The 12866 blogger Arthur Gonick. Highlights of the evening were the heartwarming video starring some of the individuals AIM serves, who were also in attendance, and the lettuce wraps at the buffet. “My husband is so funny,” Kimberly said at the buffet. “He just asked where the wraps are.” See photos from the night here.
In Memoriam
This week, Saratoga lost a City Hall icon. Current Commissioner of Public Works Skip Scirocco passed away after a battle with cancer at the age of 74. He had served the City of Saratoga in the role for seven terms and 14 years. I met Skip only twice, once to interview him for a story on Saratoga’s urban forest, and once at a Saratoga Arts event. I found him to be both a passionate advocate for Saratoga (and its trees) and an excellent cocktail party guest—he laughed much harder than he needed to at a mediocre story I told him. I remember I had felt slightly out of place at the event, and Skip went out of his way to make me feel welcome. His civic leadership and friendly personality will be sorely missed.
ICYMI: This Week in Saratoga Living After Hours
On Monday, we tested Saratogians’ knowledge of the bands coming to SPAC this summer.
And on Tuesday, we recapped the party of the year (honestly, maybe the party of the century): Our very own Overdress to Impress event, presented by Tipsy Moose Tap & Tavern. Click here to see all the photos from the epic evening.
