The Poughkeepsie Grind: An Artist’s Sanctuary
By: Kerri-Ann Seredinsky
In 2016, the Queen City welcomed one of the most innovative and delicious spaces to the downtown scene, The Poughkeepsie Grind. In just 3 years, owners Courtney and Patrick McGuire have built their dream into a reality as 107 Main St. stands out as one of the most successful coffee shops in the 845.
“A huge part of opening the coffee shop all together was trying to keep everything super local and trying to bring the community in,” states Courtney McGuire, “So kind of making this place a hub for people to get together and meet one another.”
Both Patrick and Courtney McGuire are artists themselves who had a specific vision in mind as they laid out the foundation of the coffee shop. “When we first started roasting our own coffee we didn’t necessarily realize how much of an art it is. We thought it was more of a science,” states McGuire.
The art of coffee roasting went hand in hand with the creative environment they wanted to foster at their shop. “[Patrick McGuire] does all of our artwork, all of our instagram posts, the social media, all of the boards, t-shirts, mugs, every image is his,” states McGuire, “It was very personal to him to be able to give other artists the same opportunity as him to give them a platform and a voice.”
Within the first six months of opening, they began to host Saturday night showcases of local artists. Donations were given, sales were made and brew was shared between passing attendees.
These artist features quickly became a monthly occurrence as they offered their walls as a platform for locals to display their work. Each month the feature artist changes and new pieces are welcome to the community. Just last month, a renowned painter in the Hudson Valley, John Breiner, shared a piece from his studio on Clinton St.
These types of events are just the start of their involvement with the community. The Poughkeepsie Grind also takes part in the First Friday of Poughkeepsie every month, as well as sponsoring a number of charitable events across the county. They’re giving back to the city that built them in the best way they know how.
“The artwork at this place always caught my eye,” states Mikayla Palumbo, “I had no idea that they hosted events to showcase these pieces so I’ll definitely be interested in stopping by sometime.” Palumbo is one of many Marist students who visit the grind on a regular basis for their coffee and breakfast needs.
“There’s a little niche for everything and there’s always someone wanting to learn and have a great experience at a cool place,” states McGuire, “so we hope that’s what we can bring in whether that’s with artists, employees, chefs or students.”
