The Crafted Kup: A Coffee House Brewing in Poughkeepsie
A “second home” to the community
The Crafted Kup is serving up more than just the average cup of coffee. This tucked away cafe hosts open mic nights, while showcasing ever-changing displays of artwork, and providing fresh food and beverage in a coffee house that was built to be a home for all.
“I wanted it to be a home away from home not only for the student but also for the community,” shared owner, Tanner Townsend over the soft chatter and humming of coffee machines.
Townsend adapted this aesthetic rendition of The Crafted Kup from the groundwork of the original “which looked like something off the set of the Golden Girls when I bought it from Ken and Janet Kraft,” he chuckled as he looked around at the mismatched harmony of artwork, tables, and couches.
The place is filled to the brim with students and locals, who sipped cups of coffee while they typed away at their work, flipped through books by the fireplace, and enjoyed a bite to eat with friends.
The Crafted Kup strived to produce a rich selection of locally roasted, fair trade, organic coffee, in order to, as Townsend put it, “Not be one of those places where you just get a cup of sugar, cause that’s not what we’re about.”
Townsend collaborated with The Crafted Kup’s primary coffee roaster, Chris’s Coffee based in Albany, to produce the CK House roast, “A medium bodied, with some chocolate front, but a nice citrus finish at the end.” Townsend laughed,“We tried a lot of coffee that day...started blending coffees...and tasted more coffee...I was very caffeinated by the end.”
The hand crafted and selected coffee and the variety of events such as Thursday Open Mic Night has had people pouring in. “Sign ups start at 6:30...show’s at 7:00... it’s a great chance to come hang out, see some live music, participate maybe, have a drink; a coffee, a beer, and just kind of enjoy the show,” Townsend said.
Along with open mic night the cafe hosts a variety of featured galleries throughout the year. The Crafted Cup hosts a grand opening for the local artist they are showcasing along their walls for a few months, and then when it’s time for the previous artist’s work to come down, the walls are redecorated with a new artist’s work.
“I love it ‘cause customers get to see something knew every time they walk in...right now we have a photographer’s work up…the next show will be of a variety of work done by tattoo artists...one time we even had a guy who did skateboard decks and we hung those up,” Townsend said, gesturing at the artistically covered walls.
With a cup and event that has satisfied many latte lovers and black coffee buyers.
“The Crafted Kup has become a second home to the community,” Townsend said.