Sad news in uptown Hoboken — Hudson Coffee has announced its closure as of the end of July. The coffee shop opened back in 2018 by Justin DePascale, who is also the owner of Bean Vault Coffee in downtown Hoboken. Justin, a police officer in Hoboken, shared a great love of coffee and the Mile Square. His downtown shop will remain open, but Hudson Coffee announced the news on its Instagram on July 3rd about its uptown closure at 1100 Maxwell.
“Hudson Coffee loves our community deeply, and is so grateful for your support,” the coffee shop shared on its Instagram. “We have sold our lease and will be closing our doors, on Saturday, July 31st…”
“All of the over-the-counter talks we’ve had will be greatly missed by our team. Thank you for all the love you have shown for our brand! Stop in and say goodbye while grabbing your last latte! Hoboken we love you and when we are gone please remember to always drink better coffee!”
The notice finished with a request to visit Hudson Coffee’s sister location, Bean Vault Coffee, at 1 Newark Street in Hoboken.
According to the owner, W. Kodak will be expanding into the Hudson Coffee space with its current location next door.
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How Hudson Coffee Was Born
Owner Justin DePascale never truly liked or drank coffee until he began working crazy hours as a police officer. Eventually, coffee became a necessity, and soon he found himself the owner of not one, but two coffee shops.
“It’s surprising that I went from disliking coffee to having a real passion for it now,” said DePascale at the time. “I tasted some really bad brews during my years on the police force, so when I discovered truly good coffee, everything changed. I began to seek out specialty coffees and wanted to try different beans from around the world. I wanted to learn and understand more and became somewhat of a coffee connoisseur.”
^Owner of Hudson Coffee, and HPD Officer, Justin DePascale
DePascale was committed to preserving the rich history of the Mile Square, being he is a Hoboken BNR native himself — whose family has deep roots in the community. Hudson Coffee boasted a chic interior with a huge area for working from home — with a combination of uptown Hoboken’s industrial past and the modern-day evolution of Maxwell Place.
Throughout the coffee shop are nostalgic images of the old Maxwell House plant, Hudson waterfront shipyards, and other elements of Hoboken history. Some of the photos on the wall were actually taken by DePascale himself.
Read More: The History of the Maxwell House Coffee Factory
Besides being a local happy place for many coffee lovers, the shop also got some national recognition. A few years back, Food Network Magazine named Hudson Coffee one of the best coffee mugs in the USA. The magazine feature named a “best mug” in each state and Hudson Coffee {located at 1100 Maxwell Street} took home the gold on behalf of New Jersey.
Locals responded to the closure with much sadness. “This is so sad. I’m so upset to hear this. You guys were the best,” one Instagram user wrote. “I am so sad to see this 😭,” another wrote.
The news comes as several other closures have been announced in recent days. Delfino’s, a Hoboken staple, announced its owners were retiring and it closed just this past week. Other closures have included Sugarsuckle, the popular bakery on Newark Ave, Verizza Pizza downtown which will be taken over by the owners of The Madison, and in non-foodie closure news, Work it Out Fitness Studios and Pavana Yoga also announced the ends of their time in the Mile Square as of recently.
While the pandemic has affected many businesses so greatly, there is still hope to be found. New openings include a gluten-free bakery called Annie + Ems coming to town in the fall, Rexer Gallery, and the Sinatra Room speakeasy inside Monroe’s.
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