Courtesy Wired Coffee
By Christine Graf
Two months after announcing the permanent closure of their location in Malta, Wired Coffee Roasters has opened a coffee shop in the newly-renovated Roosevelt II Baths and Spa in Saratoga Spa State Park.
The ribbon cutting took place on July 20.
According to owner Marty Michele (pronounced Michael), the closing of the Malta location was heavily influenced by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We had a nice run there, but it just wasn’t viable for us to survive,” he said.
Although the Malta closure was unexpected, Michele said plans to open a shop in the park were already in motion. He received notification in February that Wired had won a statewide bidding process and had been selected to occupy space in the Roosevelt II. As part of their agreement, the park receives a portion of monthly sales in lieu of rent.
“That gives us a greater chance to succeed,” said Michele. “We don’t have to worry about how we are going to make rent each month. It’s very accommodating.”
Because the shop is just 500 square feet, they will no longer be serving made-to-order food. Instead, they will offer a wide variety of beverages as well as grab-and-go foods, including salad and grain bowls from 9 Miles East and cookies from Sweetly Kara. By eliminating the food preparation aspect of the business, Michele will be able to focus on his passion for coffee roasting.
“I’m a coffee roaster. Once I started roasting, I was hooked,” he said. “At the new shop, we can zero in on the coffee. The coffee that we serve is all fair trade and all organic. I get them straight from the countries—straight from origin. We’re pretty close to being farmer direct.”
Michele sources his beans from Indonesia, Cost Rica, and various African countries. He roasts the beans in small batches at his roastery in Glenville and plans to sell his bagged coffees online in the near future.
Wired Coffee is served at restaurants including the Cock ‘n Bull and 677 Prime.
Michele’s brother, Matt, owns Wired Coffee and Bagel on Albany Shaker Road in Albany. They operate their cafes independently, but are partners in the coffee aspect of the business. They are currently working on making Wired’s Nitro Cold Brew a national brand. The canned cold brew is distributed by DeCrescente Distributing Co. in Mechanicville. It is sold at both Wired locations as well as at Stewart’s Shops and on many college campuses.
“We have some partnerships in the works that could catapult us to next level,” said Michele.
According to Michele, Saratoga Spa State Park visitors are excited by the presence of a coffee shop within the park. Initial sales have been encouraging.
Wired Coffee Roasters is open from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. To order online, visit www.clover.com/online-ordering/wired-coffee.