Café Kubal

Eastwood location taken at short notice from the car

 Café Kubal in Syracuse are a local coffee chain now in their fourth decade. However, several locations have closed since then. Competition from both national chains and other indies alike, as well as the economy have been a challenge to Kubals business like anyones. The SU Hill store once had a deal with 3fifteen next door where you fill a bag with donations and you'd get a ticket for a free coffee, but they had fallen out and that location is now local rival Salt City Coffee, while Kubal moved just a few blocks away to Golisano Childrens Hospital at SUNY Upstate, making it limited to visitors, staff and patients. The current downtown location is in the old Dey Brothers building and is now the de facto flagship, whilst the Creekside Commons one is just across Armory Square within walking distance. The near northside location is now just the roastery, which the Eastwood one once was, and will rebrand later this year. The North Syracuse location on US 11 and W Taft Road at Sweetheart Corners was a onetime Tim Hortons. New locations are planned for the future as this is just as common with the big chains. The former leMoyne firehouse was scheduled to become Kubal, but decided to become Salt City Coffee itself instead. May be too late for the other uni hill as their bridges may otherwise be burned as far as a regular location, and there are already a handful of other options on or close to campus now. No need for me to come up with new spots myself, since that's too easy, and of course, it's not my job anyway (I usually do this because that's my trademark, even though I can't really encourage someone elses). Here are where Café Kubal once were brewing:

Syracuse (downtown) - Marriott Syracuse Downtown (née Hotel Syracuse), S Warren St; previously Hardees; now vacant

Syracuse (east side/SU Hill) - Marshall Square Mall, Marshall St & University Ave; former uni bookshop and bar; now Salt City Coffee (that will get its own post shortly)

Syracuse (Eastwood) - NY 290, Eastwood Plaza; closed for rebrand, becoming Café Così this summer according to building site permit posted in the window; former Thrifty Shopper; roastery formerly located in part of Sacred Melody (half that closed in early '00s that is also vacant, but also has a permit for liquor store/former Hooches Furniture/Carls?/True Value Hardware) (pictured above and below)

Syracuse (near northside) - N Townsend St & Hawley Ave; on-again, off again flagship; roastery only right now (between NY 290 & 5 and I-690)

Manlius - NY 92 & 257; former Bank of America; soon to be Utica suburb Yorkville-based bakery Holland Farms' first location outside Oneida County; drive-up ATM remains

Auburn - Genesee St; only non-Syracuse area location to date; only open for two months' time, likely due to unfamiliarity of name in Cayuga County and economy overall (simplistic but valid reason)

North Syracuse - US 11 & W Taft Rd, Sweetheart Corners; previously Tim Hortons and former site of Sweetheart Market; now vacant, as rising national chain 7 Brews just opened across the road

Fantasy future location, but not sure where to put it.

Café Così in former Eastwood location (OpenAI)