BIZ BEAT: An experience with a side of joe at Graham’s Coffee Parlor in Niskayuna

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NISKAYUNA – With delicious menu options and a sit-down area with a 1980s hair salon vibe, Graham’s Coffee Parlor looks to create a space where grabbing coffee isn’t actually the main goal. 

“I just want it to be a happy space,” said owner Katryn Malen. “I’m like the anti-coffee snob. I want people to feel seen and feel like they can have a genuine conversation with humans when they come in here versus having anxiety not knowing everything that’s on the coffee menu because that’s not their job to know that–it’s our job to know that.” 

Malen bought the building located at 3406 State St. on the Niskayuna-Schenectady border and opened the shop 3.5 years ago. The building had previously belonged to her family for which she named the spot after. The shop ties together many of the things that make Malen who she is–a lover of coffee, friend, former hairdresser and positive thinker.

Malen got into coffee in 2009 when she was hired by Gregorys Coffee at the company’s first location in New York City. She eventually worked her way to managing five locations before leaving to explore other opportunities. But she had come to have a passion for coffee and making people want to smile–something she felt she could do by opening her own place and being her own boss.

Now her brightly lit but small coffee parlor offers some seating that pushes people to talk to each other, sometimes discussing the cool artwork that lines the wall. Throughout the space large murals of Malen’s friends, like Matthew Cornwall are displayed on the wall with tags like “Stayin Fresh,” a slogan that fits the baker well. 

Cornwall is the flavor master behind such menu items as the hot cherry pepper gruyere scone and pumpkin bread. 

The baked goods aren’t the only items bringing people through the door, coffee items like the malted milk latte, which has malted milk powder, also have people coming back time and time again. Th drink is one of Malen’s favorite sweet lattes, although you’ll likely find her drinking coffee or espresso black. 

When customers come in she said she tries not to overwhelm them with options and rather asks them what they usually order at a coffee shop and takes it from there. 

“That’s the beauty of coming to Graham’s, we really take the time to understand what people want and they shouldn’t feel intimidated reading a menu,” she said. 

Malen said one of the coolest parts of her parlor is everything is made in house, minus the coffee beans which come from Hex Coffee Roasters in North Carolina. 

She also said everything on the menu is created with a purpose.

“People will be like ‘oh you don’t have hazelnut,’” she said. “I don’t have hazelnut but you go to so many places and it’s the same exact menu everywhere, the same exact bottle of syrup everywhere and I was like what’s the fun in that. So we really made a beautiful seasonal menu.”

The shop offers some of your typical coffee flavors but them tosses in others not commonly hear of like lavender, ginger, rose bouquet and cardamom maple. It serves lemonade, tea and smoothies like the Emerald City, which has almond milk, ginger, pineapple and baby spinach. 

There’s also oatmeal and yogurt bowls, like Dawn’s Delight, made of dark chocolate, cranberries, coconut and almonds, that people can try. 

While Malen said she’s been very blessed over the years with great staff and customers, like many other businesses, the job didn’t come without challenges. Seven months after opening Malen had to start selling items out of the windows of her shops due to the covid pandemic. Then came inflation and supply chain issues. However, Malen said those moments taught her that trying to be a perfectionist as a small business owner, particularly in the food industry, is not possible.

“It’s helped me find peace of mind…that I can’t control this stuff and it’s fine,” she said. “Everyone is still going to show up. Everybody is still going to be fine.”

Malen is taking that same sort of approach to future expansion and just letting things sort of happen naturally, she said. 

She wants to expand their baked goods selection, maybe even the building too…eventually. 

She has thoughts on maybe somewhere down the line a pink truck blasting 80s music pulling up and doing coffee and smoothies on the spot–the sort of rent Graham’s for a day experience. However, she’s not there yet and she’s in no rush to get there. 

“I’m just kind of the person where like I’m doing whatever I’m doing in my life and like Graham’s is going to get there when it gets there and we’re having a great time in the meantime,” she said.

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