Village Roast Coffee Shop opens in Downtown Keeseville

KEESEVILLE | Salvation has arrived for coffee drinkers in Keeseville seeking an alternative to gas stations to purchase a cup of mud. The Village Roast Coffee Shop opened on Front Street on May 30. And judging by the enthusiasm and work history of its two owner-operators, it could become a roaring success. Keeseville locals Bernie Fielder and Dale Holderman, who just opened the shop are presently only offering breakfast and specialty coffees. But they plan to soon offer a lunch menu, including various soups with a daily special so patrons can have a different dish each day. It is currently open seven days weekly from 7 a.m.- 2 p.m. Holderman says a coffee shop is needed here. "Something better than the gas stations." Fielder says their goal is to serve their patrons within five minutes. "Get them in and out. So they're not waiting in line." With several large wondrous 19th-century photographs of Keeseville on the wall and chairs on the sidewalk for patrons who want to sit outside, Felder says he hopes the coffee shop becomes "a community-orientated" venue for social gatherings and club meetings. Holderman says he is trying to "improve the character" of Keeseville. And the two owners are well-experienced and knowledgeable in entrepreneurship and the food and beverage service industry. Holderman co-owned with his wife, Maria's Keg 'n Kettle, a barbecue restaurant formerly housed in the same storefront as the coffee shop. The pandemic forced its closing. Holderman cooked and Fielder bartended. Holderman also owns the Village Liquor Shoppe, located a few doors down on Front Street. And he was the last mayor of Keeseville, which dissolved on Dec. 31, 2014, and became part of Chesterfield. Moreover, Fielder is the co-owner of the laundromat next door. Along with eight varieties of teas, its specialty coffee beverages include americano, long black, macchiato, cappuccino, latte, mocha latte, caramel latte and chai tea latte. The shop also offers a variety of drip coffees, including maple roast, medium roast (and decaffeinated) and dark roast. Fielder says the maple roast drip coffee is "extremely popular." And folks can also choose from a dozen flavor shots for their coffee or lattes, such as blueberry, chocolate fudge, caramel apple butter and peppermint. A variety of jams are also offered. Nine cold and frozen beverages are also sold, including four kinds of smoothies. All breakfast sandwiches are made to order and an owner says all their ingredients are "top-notch." Their meats include bacon, sausage and ham, and can be made with a variety of breads, such as port muffin, bagels, croissants, ciabatta and sourdough. Among their most popular are the sausage, egg and cheese on port muffin bread. So with all these offerings, the Village Roast Coffee Shop seems poised for success and we certainly hope it becomes a beloved local institution.

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Village Roast Coffee Shop opens in Downtown Keeseville

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