Stacks Espresso Bar Expands With Opening of Second Downtown Albany Location
Stacks Espresso Bar’s leadership and management team gathered with City of Albany Mayor Dr. Dorcey Applyrs, community leaders, the Downtown Albany Business Improvement District and the City of Albany’s economic development organization Capitalize Albany Corporation to celebrate the opening of its new second downtown Albany location at 90 State Street. A decade in the making after opening its first downtown location at 488 Broadway, with this latest strategic investment, Stacks Espresso Bar has grown to five locations total in the Region.
“Stacks Espresso Bar has become one of the Capital Region’s signature small businesses, and it is exciting to see them continue to invest in downtown Albany with this new location at 90 State Street. This expansion reflects the growing energy and momentum we are building in our downtown core,” said City of Albany Mayor Dr. Dorcey Applyrs. “Small businesses like Stacks create community gathering spaces, support foot traffic, contribute to our local economy, and help shape the experience visitors have when they spend time in Albany. As our downtown residential population continues to grow, investments like this are exactly what we want to see. I want to congratulate the entire Stacks team on this milestone and thank Capitalize Albany and all of our partners who continue working to support local entrepreneurs and strengthen our downtown business community. This is another example of Albany moving forward and creating the kind of vibrant, active downtown our residents deserve.”
“We are proud to once again deepen our investment in the City of Albany. For more than a decade, this community has supported Stacks, and we are grateful to everyone who has helped us grow,” said Stacks Espresso Bar owner Tyler Wrightson. “With this new location at 90 State Street, our focus is on creating a true community gathering space for the growing professional and residential population, as well as for visitors experiencing everything downtown has to offer. We’re looking forward to bringing even more exceptional coffee to downtown.”
This expansion places Stacks Espresso in the heart of downtown’s central business district among its residential population which is poised for growth, steps from the capitol and adjacent to Albany’s evolving warehouse district.
"I'm delighted to see Stacks Espresso Bar opening another location in the City of Albany, bringing in high-quality coffee and great service to State Street," said Senator Patricia Fahy (D—Albany). "State Street is part of the beating heart of downtown Albany. Beyond selling artisanal espresso, Stacks delivers a distinct coffee culture that values the social experience of a café for students, workers, and residents alike. I’m thankful for the Capitalize Albany Corporation’s reinvestment in Stacks to help establish this new location. As we head into the summer, I encourage everyone to take advantage of this new space and try out some premium espresso!”
Stacks Espresso Bar specializes in high-demand artisanal coffee. Its locations spotlight different brewing methods, different coffee regions and beans. It’s continuously bringing in unique coffees from diverse roasters. Customers can experience specifically chosen coffees in their most flavorful form while sitting at Stacks’ Slow Bar which focuses on manual brewing methods such as pour over. Its menu at 90 State Street will center on crafting coffee using contemporary techniques and sustainable practices. The slow bar, additional educational and coffee programming will be a focus area for this location.
The shop will also focus on serving as a hub for coffee enthusiasts as well as a gathering spot for professionals, residents, and downtown visitors alike as the central business district continues to grow. Looking beyond its early months of operation, In the future Its management team looks to bring Stacks’ lineup of cocktails and additional offerings featured at other locations. This location is also uniquely situated to maximize expanded evenings with community-centered programming with the MVP Arena being just around its corner.
Located on the ground floor, the 15-story building at the corner of South Pearl and State streets, known as Abraxas at 90 State, today features more than 160 market-rate apartments on the upper floors following an extensive renovation project completed over the last several years.
Made possible through the Downtown Albany Retail Grant Program, Stacks Espresso Bar received a matching grant award to complete renovations of The new 1,104-square-foot space, which expands beyond the building’s former Stagecoach Coffee’s space into an adjoining area. The Downtown Albany Retail grant program is supported by the City of Albany Capital Resource Corporation (CRC) and administered by Capitalize Albany Corporation.
“Great things are brewing in downtown. Stacks’ strategic reinvestment will bring another important third place and community gathering spot to a central business district that is poised for incredible growth,” said Capitalize Albany Corporation President and City of Albany CRC CEO Ashley Mohl. “Stacks Espresso Bar was the Downtown Albany Retail Grant Program’s first successful project when it opened on Broadway a decade ago. This new location, the fifth for Stacks and its second downtown, is a powerful example of what is possible through the program’s support and its ability to attract and strengthen local entrepreneurs. we hope to see more businesses take advantage of it in the coming years as new investment continues to build momentum.”
“We are excited about Stacks Espresso Bar expanding in Downtown, providing coffee enthusiasts with a second location to refuel or unwind with friends. Its new State Street location, the oldest continuously operating commercial corridor in the United States, is situated in the heart of the Central Social District and beneath a residential building, serving Downtown's vibrant population. This expansion is a testament to the area’s future growth. With over 270 new residential units planned for Downtown, along with the Liberty Park project, it is reliable and consistent businesses like Stacks that are essential for supporting this development. We are thrilled that Stacks has chosen our neighborhood for their expansion.”
This is Stacks Espresso Bar’s second award and project supported through the matching grant program which also assisted with renovations of its first downtown location at 488 Broadway.
Stacks Espresso began on Lark Street and then in 2016 expanded to Broadway in Albany, its other locations are in the New York State Museum and on Third Street in downtown Troy.
Since its inception in 2016, the Downtown Albany Retail Grant Program has proven to be an advantageous tool in attracting new, and supporting the expansion of existing downtown businesses. The program has supported more than a dozen new and expanding businesses in recent years, helping revitalize the city’s urban core. Since its launch, the program has leveraged more than $2 million in private investment and helped attract a diverse mix of restaurants, retailers, and creative spaces, including The Bevy Vintage Collective, Viva Empanadas, Loch & Quay, and Stacks Espresso Bar
