Cupoccino and Country Clocks close in Cold Spring
By Michael Turton
Two longtime shops on Main Street in Cold Spring, Cupoccino Cafe and Country Clocks, have closed.
Cupoccino, at 92 Main, served its last cup of coffee on Friday, Nov. 30. John and Jesse Arguello, who opened the shop in 2009, had sought a long-term lease from Rivertown Holdings, which purchased the building in 2017.
But Craig Roffman, a Philipstown resident who is a principal in the holding company, said in an email that “the decision was mutual between Cupoccino and Rivertown Holdings” for the shop to leave and that the future of the building, including a second-floor apartment, is “under discussion.”
Jesse Arguello declined to comment on the negotiations. In a message posted on Cupoccino’s Facebook page addressed to friends, family and customers, the Arguellos said the closing was bittersweet.
“We are very sad to leave and will miss all of you but are thinking positive and looking forward to a new adventure and more time with our children, family and friends,” they wrote. “Cold Spring/Philipstown is an amazing community. We will never forget when John was diagnosed with cancer how you all as a community rallied to support us with love, support, prayer and generous donations. With tears in our eyes we say goodbye for now, and wish you all great health and fortune.”
At Country Clocks at 142 Main St., which opened 26 years ago, Howard Broad sold and repaired antique timepieces. When interviewed by The Current in 2011, the Garrison resident said a 17th-century English lantern clock was the oldest in his collection but he declined to name a favorite. “It’s like saying, ‘Who’s your favorite child?’ ” he said. “There’s something about each one. They’re all different. They each have a certain character.”
Broad, who is 65, suffers from Alzheimer’s disease, his spouse, Winfried Dohle, told The Current.
We wanted to take a moment to say how sad we are to lose our wonderful neighbor, Cupoccino Cafe. In our short time on Main Street, they have been a warm and welcoming presence and their coffee and tea and sandwiches have fueled many long hours working at the bookstore. We wish them the best as they move on.
We would be remiss if we did not mention our disappointment at their being forced to leave during the busy holiday season. An empty storefront hurts all Main Street businesses and is a terrible shame during a time that is supposed to be about celebrating and being with the community.
I am always saddened to hear about any businesses closing their doors on Main Street, especially these two that contributed so much to the Village. I still can’t believe that Cupoccino will no longer be serving their wonderful coffee, tea, sandwiches and desserts that always attracted so many people to the little cafe, no matter the time of year. They were always busy, even in winter when I stopped by for a hot drink, there were always people sitting around enjoying themselves.
I have to say, that although we have had a good influx of new businesses in town including the bookstore, the cheese shop, the Greek store, and the wine shop, things are still very tough for any brick-and-mortar merchants, regardless of what they’re selling. It’s a whole different world today now that most people are doing their shopping online and of course on Amazon. Everyone is having to adjust, some more successfully than others.
The Chamber has been really trying to do a lot and Katie Liberman deserves a lot of credit for revitalizing that organization. Nevertheless, it seems to be getting harder and harder to make a go of it on Main Street these days and I hope the businesses that we have can stay the course.