At the top of Main Street in Kutztown sits a quaint coffee shop. Uptown Espresso Bar: A second library for Kutztown University students and a common pit stop for the town regulars in need of their daily dose of coffee.
Upon walking in, one instantaneously picks up on the homey ambience that this charming little store gives off. Intertwined amongst a large array of mementos and pictures that decorate the walls sits a small plaque that reads: “Sarcasm: just one more service we offer here.” The combination of all of this makes the perfect recipe for a small-town coffee shop. The second I entered the door I was immediately immersed into the engaging world of Uptown, and then I looked up at the menu.
To my heart’s desire, I was greeted by an array of options. The hearty everything bagels – which I am happy to report are delicious – echo what the store itself offers, everything. For those of you who aren’t a fan of coffee, don’t fret. Despite the abundance of coffee beans that line the wall, Uptown offers everything from chai tea to smoothies. If you can’t make it for breakfast you are in luck: Uptown offers soups, salads and more that are made from scratch by the owner, Peter Johnson. After finishing my inexpensive yet delectable breakfast, I sat down with Nina Antos, an Uptown employee and former student at Kutztown University. In the comfort of the intimate shop she educated me on this Kutztown treasure.
“There’s a lot of heart in this place,” Antos says with conviction. “Peter’s always remembering people’s orders. He knows everybody’s name. There’s a familiarity about it [Uptown] that makes you want to come back.” Despite being a convenient stop for students, the regulars still flow in day in and day out when classes are no longer in session. “There’s definitely the regulars, and they come because of the attitude and service and everything,” says Antos. They come because they’re comfortable here. Antos explains, “We’re fine as is. I don’t think there’s been a lot of huge change just because it doesn’t seem like it’s that type of business that needs to expand.” Luckily for Kutztown, Uptown is more than content with where they are and is here to stay. As I parted ways with Antos, I took one last opportunity to admire the charismatic shop, and I then made my way down and across the street to one of Antos’s favorites, Wholesome Food.
Welcoming light greens and browns embellish the walls of Wholesome Food, emphasizing the fresh and healthy food that was soon to be mine. After ordering an Italian Panini with Peach-Mango Salsa and Gluten Free Tortilla Chips, I was handed a glass Mason jar, in which I filled with invigorating and refreshing lemonade. Shortly thereafter, my beloved lunch arrived. Knowing it was both good for me and great tasting made it even more enticing. I topped off my meal with a cupcake that was displayed on the counter, tempting me from the second I walked in. It was garnished with coconut shavings and almond bits, a perfect combination.
After devouring lunch, I met with Lauren Moseley, manager of Wholesome Food and daughter of Pam and Bill Moseley, both owners of this unique restaurant that has thrived in Kutztown for the past year and five months. What originally began in March of 2011 as a catering business that Pam Moseley ran from a commercial kitchen attached to her house soon turned into the business now known and loved by locals and visitors alike. “The business was just growing so rapidly with the eating trends that we opened up this. My mom opened up the catering business because this is how we’ve always ate, all organic and all natural, so she wanted to spread her experience,” says Moseley.
The Moseleys have done just that. Through working with many local farms, as well as selling their own grass-fed beef, which is produced at Wholesome Food Farm located in Alburtis, they have helped to enlighten Kutztown of the beauty – and delicious aspects – of healthy eating. “I think it is definitely wise to watch what you eat and be conscious of where your food is coming from,” says Moseley. Wholesome Food sticks to this policy with all the food they freshly prepare for their customers “even down to the mayonnaise.” In the future, Wholesome Food hopes to “expand to have a couple other locations and maybe ultimately franchise.” Despite the possibility of obtaining other locations in the future, Wholesome Food enjoys being located in Kutztown. “We like that they are very community-oriented. We like that they have a lot of community-based activities,” says Moseley admiringly.
With that being said, I made my way even further down Main Street to speak with Joel Seidel, a man heavily involved with the community and town events, from Christmas in Kutztown to the Block Party on Main Street. Most importantly, he is the owner of Kutztown’s favorite spot for ice cream: Pop’s Malt Shoppe. Here, I was welcomed by bright pink cotton- candy colored walls covered in old-fashioned signs and pictures completely encompassing the retro 50’s themed shop. Pop’s Malt Shoppe has been bestowing his sweet style on Main Street for the past 11 years since 2004.
Before endowing the town with Pop’s, Seidel had been a business inspector for 20 years. Through this, he saw what worked and what didn’t work in terms of business operations. “I thought if they can do it, I can do it,” reflects Seidel. With this mindset Seidel set off to open a small coffee shop in Kutztown, entitled The Bean Cellar, in order to give the business world a go. “I got a small tabletop soft-serve ice cream machine, and in six months that little machine outsold everything else we did combined. I knew Kutztown could use an ice cream shop, so I opened Pop’s,” explains Seidel. And the rest is history. What started off as a single room where you could stop in to order ice cream now has developed a full-scale menu including everything from burgers to salads. Today, you can venture over to the other side of Pop’s Malt Shoppe and sit down in the cozy booths to enjoy your meal, while also immersing yourself into the fun vintage decorations of which Seidel says, “came from Hobby Lobby.” Although he has been re-decorating Pop’s every year, Seidel is happy with how it currently looks and plans to keep it that way. It is easy to see why, as the lively wall of candy and vintage-looking Coca-Cola machine invites passersby inside.
This one-of-a-kind ice cream experience keeps residents of Kutztown coming back for more. “Everybody tells me the same thing. When you come in here, it’s just a feel-good happy place that just kind of makes you smile,” says Seidel proudly. Next time you pass through Main Street, be sure to glance through the window at Pop’s. You may just find Seidel scooping himself a bite of Salty Caramel or Oreo ice cream. “Those are my two that I go to,” he says. He then adds, “I like it here in Kutztown.” We like you here, too, Joel.
Angela Cremer is a resident of Kutztown and current Communications student at Albright College.
