Kaffee Klatsch celebrates 12 years in business

KateLynn Slaamot
NLJ Correspondent
 
Despite challenges, change and many bouts of reinvention, the Kaffee Klatsch is celebrating 12 years as Newcastle’s primary and longest-lasting coffee shop. 
Cyna Whitford, owner of the Kaffee Klatsch, purchased Minuteman’s Coffee and Breakfast in January 2008 and opened her coffee shop under its new name the week of Valentine’s Day. 
Whitford’s primary reason to open a coffee shop was to provide the town with good coffee at an early time of day. When she first opened, not many convenience stores offered coffee for early risers, so Whitford decided to offer her coffee starting at 4 a.m. This schedule lasted Monday through Friday for more than six years, Whitford said. 
Whitford laughed.
“That was a little bit on the crazy side,” she said. 
However, when the convenience store Maverik, with its 24-hour service, came to Newcastle, other convenience stores in town began to also offer those hours. This was a challenge to Whitford, she said, because she was no longer the only place where early-morning coffee lovers could get their java. 
Whitford then changed her hours to open at 4:30, then 5:30. After her move from Minuteman Lube to the Loaf ‘N Jug parking lot, she also adjusted her hours to try to snag high schoolers for lunch. That proved difficult, however, because students had a very short window for eating.
When none of her efforts appeared to work, Whitford started shifting her attention to “passersby,” such as tourists and people traveling through. She is on the internet with several travel sites, and her shop is the one that comes up most of the time when people look for coffee shops in the area. 
The business from tourists proved to be valuable, especially during the summer months, according to Whitford. Out-of-town customers bring fresh ideas in terms of food and drink, which she could then share with locals, she said. 
“I can treat them (Newcastle) to a new idea of a drink or sandwich,” Whitford said. 
Moves were quite the challenge, Whitford said, and came with the worry of whether or not customers would follow her. She set up shop in Minuteman Lube for over six years. Then she located in the log cabin in the Loaf ‘N Jug parking lot for more than five years. Recently, she moved her log cabin to her property across the street. 
With each move, Whitford said, her customers remained faithful and followed her. With her most recent move she gained even more customers than she had previously, she said. 
Whitford has had to reinvent her business with each move, and she has made several changes through the years. For a while now, Whitford has been offering lunches, which are ready at 6:30 a.m. and again at 10:30 a.m. These lunches are hearty, she said, and they are much appreciated by workers who come in. Whitford also has indoor seating for up to 16 guests and can cater up to 250 if the location is provided. 
One of Whitford’s biggest challenges, however, was when she first opened. She didn’t keep the name of the previous coffee shop because she wanted a fresh start and a name for herself, she said. It took some time to get out in the community to let people know who she was and what she served. 
The name “Kaffee Klatsch” is a German name, Whitford said, which has several potential connotations. The meaning Whitford chose to associate it with was “the gossiping coffee.” Whitford’s hope is that it presents an atmosphere of coming to the shop, meeting people and having conversation. She also hopes that people will share their own experience of the place with others.
Whitford cited flexibility as one of the reasons for her business’ longevity. Going with the flow is a must in the food industry, she said. Success requires catering to the needs and wants of customers and learning what those are. Whitford also noted that she couldn’t have gotten this far without the people in her life — including her husband, David — and her longtime, loyal customers.
“I couldn’t have made it without my core group support,” Whitford said. 
One of Whitford’s loyal customers, Paige Deyo, is a junior at Newcastle High School. She’s been a customer for about four years – since she started going to the coffee shop with her mom. Now, she goes whenever she gets the chance, she said. 
“Cyna is so open and welcoming,” Deyo said, adding that Whitford always knows exactly what her customers want. 
Rose Baldwin has been with the Kaffee Klatsch since the beginning in 2008. She said that she enjoys coffee, and it’s a good place to get some. 
“It’s just a great place to go and have a cup of coffee and conversation,” Baldwin said. 
In a town where many businesses come and go, Whitford said she is very thankful for the endurance of her coffee shop, and she is excited for more years to come, she said. 
“It’s a business, but it’s also my heart,” Whitford said.