Spektor Coffee, the quirky cafe that serves coffee, bagels and sandwiches on Centennial Circle in Glens Falls, will change owners Friday, those involved say. The coffee will not change, and the new owners do not plan to change or cut staff, but lunch will go under the knife.
“I worked six days a week for six years in a row without a vacation, and that starts Saturday,” said Spektor owner Michael Grant. He is selling the operation to the people who own Kru Coffee in Saratoga Springs.
Ryan Miller, his sister Kristi Brock and her husband Kyle Brock own Krucible Coffee Co., and Miller once was a co-owner of Spektor when it first opened, he said. The cafe has gone through at least a couple ownership changes since then, but it has always sold Kru Coffee.
At the same time, the kitchen at Spektor coffee has baked pastries and breads for the Kru Coffee restaurant in Saratoga Springs.
“We’re getting the baked goods, they’re getting the coffee,” Miller said.
Grant said he has already started a landscaping business. He said it is not really the best time to sell a restaurant since post-pandemic business has been booming, and there is money to be made.
“It’s not about the money,” however, he said, adding that he is looking at quality of life. "I've been in the restaurant business for 25 years, ever since I was a kid, and it's just time for me to get out of it."
Miller and Kyle Brock said they plan some minor changes to the interior of the cafe, and the sign will change from Spektor to Kru in early September.
However, they are planning to offer coffee and breakfast items only. The lunch menu will be shorted or cut. They have not ironed out the details about exactly which menu items will stay, they said, adding that they know there are some local favorites on the menu. They also are still considering how long into the afternoon to stay open.
Grant said he does not fear handing the store over to them.
"They’re my good friends, and I know they'll do a great job,” he said.
The location at 140 Glen St. will be the third store for Kru Coffee, including 46 Marion Ave. in Saratoga Springs and 2 Church St. in Burlington, Vt.
Steve Thurston (2021)
Ryan Miller, left, and Kyle Brock stand in front of the Kru Coffee roaster. They own the establishment with Kyle's wife Kristi.