41°
CROTON-ON-HUDSON, N.Y. A 17-year Croton institution, The Black Cow coffee shop, will move to a new location in the village in August.
"We felt weve outgrown the space and we have more opportunity in a bigger space," said owner, Michael Grant.
The new space, located at 4 Old Post Road, Croton-on-Hudson, is more than double the size, at 2,300 square feet. Grant said his current location at 64 Maple St., Croton-on-Hudson, is about 1,000 square feet. The new location is about half-a-mile north of the coffee shop's original location.
The Black Cow will continue to roast and brew coffee, and serve pastries and baked goods as it does now. Grant said he's looking forward to keeping the new location open later on the weekends, and using the newfound space to have more live music, and more events, like art shows.
Originally opened in December 1995, many "regulars" will remember walking to "the Cow" after blizzards and on holidays. "As long as we had power we stayed open," said Peggy Grant, Michael Grant's wife, who helped open the store with him. Peggy Grant said she remembers bringing coffee to workers after snowstorms.
For years, the Grants opened the store before 5 a.m. Regulars will remember entering to the early morning sounds of jazz, as WBGO 88.3 FM was the shops station of choice. Some coffee blends were even developed for the station (see, "Mingus Java").
The Cow has hosted "open mic" nights, high school and professional art shows, poetry readings and gatherings of old friends. The Croton-Harmon School Board holds informal meetings with the public at The Black Cow. Many Croton children grew up familiar with the smell of coffee.
The Grant's own children, Zoe and Bailey Grant, now soon-to-be 20 and 22, were 3 and 5-years-old when the shop opened its doors. They now work at the shop, schedules permitting.
A second location in Pleasantville opened in May 2011 and has garnered a morning crowd.
"The most profound is when something rattles the community and people go there to feel a sense of community. The most profound of course being 9/11, but even when we lose people in the community, it somehow becomes a place of familiar safety where children were raised," Peggy Grant said.
"After 17 years, we've always wanted a bigger space," said Michael Grant. He said he will do much of the construction of the new space himself, barring a plumber, painter, electrician and someone to lay flooring.
He does not anticipate increasing the size of the staff and aside from the comings and goings of college students on-staff in the summer, the same staff will be at The Black Cow's new location.
Grant also said the new location has plenty of parking. "Dont let anyone fool you," he said, "I have no problem with parking. There's parking all over this village."
Click here to follow Daily Voice Cortlandt and receive free news updates.
