A ‘Coffee War’ is Brewing on Route 9 — Who Will You Choose?
Pretty soon there are going to be plenty of places to grab a quick cup of coffee on your way to work . Where will you wind up going?
Coffee is a necessity for many Hudson Valley workers who need that quick jolt of caffeine to get their busy day started. There are plenty of places to fuel up with a cup of joe, but two new quick-stop coffee joints are going to make your decision even more difficult.
Today is the official opening day of Ready Coffee. You may have seen the tiny little building being erected in the Kohl's shopping plaza in Wappingers Falls. It's the first of two locations that plan to service the Hudson Valley with quick, locally roasted coffee to go. To celebrate their grand opening, the company is handing out free drinks all day from 5am to 10pm.
Just one mile south is the future home of another coffee behemoth that's plotting their comeback to the same area. In the shadow of the former Bad Ass Coffee building on Route 9 and East Market Street, Starbucks is remodeling the old Kodomo Asian Bistro restaurant and preparing to open their doors this spring. The site will feature a drive-thru, hoping to lure morning customers looking for a quick morning coffee fix.
Stuck between both of the new coffee spots is the juggernaut known as Dunkin' Donuts. Dunkin' has quietly become the Hudson Valley's favorite cup of coffee, earning the top spot in the 2019 Battle of the Best competition. With dozens of locations, sometimes just blocks apart, it seems like there's always a Dunkin' on your way to any destination. The Wappingers restaurant is located just north of the future Starbucks, on the Northbound lane of Route 9 before hitting Ready Coffee, putting it right in the cross-hairs of both cafes.
Now, we're pretty sure that there are more than enough coffee drinkers in the Hudson Valley to support all three locations, but just which one will wind up being your favorite? It's anyone guess, but we're absolutely sure of one thing; things are about to get much more lively around here.