Moxie Cup, midtown New Paltz’s popular cupcakes-and-java hangout, is no more — not by that name, anyway. On May 9, owner/operator Josie Eriole announced on the Moxie Cup Facebook page that, “as of May 16, Moxie Cup will become Redstart Coffee…an exciting opportunity for me to focus on my passion for great coffee in a comfortable, welcoming atmosphere. We will have this New Paltz location as well as a Kingston waterfront location opening later this month.”
Eriole, who founded what was originally called Moxie Cupcakes as a bake-from-home wholesale operation in 2010, moved her storefront from the Water Street Market to its present location at 184 Main Street in 2013. She changed the business’ name to Moxie Cup to put greater emphasis on its identity as a coffeeshop as the novelty cupcake craze started to wane.
Now she is bringing the transition to its logical conclusion, rebranding the shop after a species of bird known as a natural pest control on organic coffee plantations. Moxie Cup went out with a bang last weekend, reviving some of Eriole’s most popular oddball cupcake flavors of years past to the delight of longtime patrons. And it’s a safe bet that creative baked goods will still be found on the menu, now that the place has become Redstart Coffee.
“Deciding to take the giant leap and open a retail shop changed my life forever. The love and support from all of you was overwhelming,” Eriole wrote to Moxie’s Facebook followers. “There have been many difficult moments as I learned and grew, but the wonderful moments far outshine them. As I look to the future, it’s bittersweet to say goodbye to Moxie. Seven is my favorite number, and it just feels like the time is right for me personally and professionally to see what else the future holds.”
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