Photos courtesy of Patrick Madden
All That Java establishes permanent locations in Rhinebeck and Tivoli, with a Hannaford kiosk in Kingston and more to come.
The first time All That Java opened a tiny coffee shop in Rhinebeck in 2016, it did so in a whopping 96-square-foot trapezoid. Bitty as the location was, it’s a defining characteristic of the coffee shop’s aesthetic, one that owner Samantha Sapienza carried over from her 15 years spent living in Seattle, the coffee capital of the nation.
Her tiny coffee shop concept was a success, so she followed it up with a second permanent spot in the backyard of Hotel Tivoli. A stint across from Adams Fairacre Farms in Kingston quickly found a caffeine-craving clientele in Ulster County, giving way to a kiosk addition at Hannaford Supermarket in March 2021. As All That Java aims to bring its picture-perfect miniature coffee house concept to Millbrook in May, it settles into its beautiful flagship location in Rhinebeck.
“Coffee shops are a common sight in grocery stores on the west coast,” says Sapienza. “It’s great to partner with Hannaford and bring that concept to the east coast. There is a really good fit between our two brands.” Customers can text in their order, and have fresh lattes waiting for them upon arrival to the store. This Hannaford kiosk replaces its former Kingston location, as that unit will be used for the expansion to Millbrook. For added convenience, the grocery store’s parking lot gets two spots reserved for All That Java customers.
So how is the team settling in at the upgraded flagship store in Rhinebeck?
The brand’s central locale in the village is primely located inside the Montgomery Row plaza on Livingston Street. It sits right next to Hammertown and Oblong Bookstore and is in walking distance to dozens of other restaurants and shops in town, while offering more space for patrons.
“We always wanted to have a flagship store and we wanted it to be in Rhinebeck because that’s where our home is,” Sapienza explains. When the Row’s landlord approached her and partner Patrick Madden, a former advertising executive in New York City and San Francisco, in October, the duo knew it would be a perfect fit. “Our customers are so happy that we have a space. We’re in the heart of the village.”
She isn’t exaggerating, either. In its primary residence, All That Java is an easy stroll away from Montgomery Street restaurants like Gigi and Terrapin and East Market Street favorites like Bread Alone Bakery, Cinnamon, and Samuel’s Sweet Shop. Inside, the shop still maintains its pint-sized aura – there are cocktail tables but no seating – while slinging java for the Rhinebeck community.
If its menu is any indication, All That Java is, as the name suggests, an honest-to-goodness coffee shop. Sapienza and Madden work with a roaster in the Seattle area to perfect their signature medium dark roast. The brand has two coffee varieties, one for espresso and one for its standard cup of joe, and uses only Poland Springs water for brewing. Dairy is straight from Hudson Valley Fresh while, for mochas, chocolate comes straight from Ghirardelli.
“Every element has been upgraded,” Madden enthuses. “It’s an amazing cup of coffee.”
Plus, its limited supply of teas come from the iconic Harney & Sons Fine Teas, rooted right in Millerton. All That Java’s Simonelli espresso machine ensures consistency and a streamlined process that makes opening new locales—like the Hannaford kiosk in Kingston—easy. The upgrades continue with the food offerings as well. At its Rhinebeck and Tivoli locations, All That Java serves ever-popular mini-chocolate croissants prepared by two Culinary Institute of America graduates.
While Madden and Sapienza are thrilled about their brick-and-mortar in Dutchess County, they don’t plan to let go of their tiny coffee shop concept anytime soon. After considerations of Red Hook and Poughkeepsie, the brand settled on Tivoli and soon Millbrook to base its cozy coffee stands. Tivoli received the original Rhinebeck unit, while Millbrook will receive the unit that once stood opposite Adams Fairacre Farms in Kingston.
“The familiarity of the brand is starting to accelerate,” observes Madden. “Something happened with the store opening and the unit being across from Adams.”
Yet as anyone who’s grabbed a latte or mocha at All That Java knows, coffee is only part of what makes the shops unique. At each location, Sapienza and her employees make it their priority to ensure customers leave with a smile on their faces. They love surprising locals by introducing unexpected merch like cutting boards made from marble and, during the holidays, ornaments and wrapping paper. Throughout the year, All That Java also sells its signature roast in Coffee Cubes, square boxes of beans created by Sapienza to allow customers to brew coffee at home and refill their cube for a discount. The design has been such a success that a number of local Hannaford locations, including the ones in Kingston and West Hurley, offer it for sale.
“People love the taste of our coffee,” says Sapienza, adding that whether they drink it from the source or in the comfort of their homes, they’re guaranteed a stellar cup of java every time.
“Make people happy, that’s what we get to do all day,” she says. “We want to make that two or three minutes we spend with [customers] the best they can be.”
All That Java
8 Livingston St, Rhinebeck
