by Jill Nagy
Visitors to Finishing Touches home decor shop can now enjoy gourmet coffee and home baked treats at the Coffee Bar, recently opened inside the shop.
The shop is in the Collamer House, an 1880s building at 450 East High St. in Malta near Northway Exit 13.
Owner Shelley Walker expects the coffee bar to enhance the experience of people coming into Finishing Touches, a home design and gift shop.
The Coffee Bar offers a range of coffees including espresso, latte, and other European style coffee drinks as well as the shop’s house blend, breakfast blend and decaffeinated American-style coffee. Walker said that one of her regular customers is so fond of the low-acid house blend that she buys the coffee beans by the bagful. A house specialty is affogato, vanilla ice cream with espresso poured over it. Hot chocolate and half a dozen varieties of tea are also available. This time of year, anything can be ordered with pumpkin spice flavoring.
The coffee shop has a bar top and cafe tables inside the store and some outdoor seating. Walker plans to add a sofa and chairs. Coffee is also available through the service window of Cookies and Cream, an ice cream shop also housed in Finishing Touches, but slated to close soon for the winter. That outlet presently features cider doughnut sundaes. Walker owns all three businesses and the building.
Walker has been an interior designer for almost 25 years and has had her own shop for 10. She has been at her current location for three years.
During the summer, about 10 employees, most of them parttime, worked at the food outlets at Finishing Touches. Many of them were students who have now returned to school and Walker is seeking to replace them. Once she has her staff filled out, she will set new hours.
Future plans include a pop-up shop selling jewelry, photography, and other items from local artisans. A “women’s night out” is also in the works. Details will be on the Finishing Touches website, finishingtouchesstore.com. The new hours will also be posted on the website. People can also reach Finishing Touches by telephone at 518 584-1490.