The shop first opened August 9, 2021 with a large parking lot allowing them to optimize curbside pickup. Diane Herbel owns the business and was a school nurse in Edgewood for five years, which has helped her business branch out into the community.
Ahead of opening her business almost two years ago, Herbel always loved coffee but didn’t know too much about it. She spent much time researching and was able to accumulate various ideas to open a shop that would appeal to her community.
She wanted to get Trenton excited about the new addition, so she created a Facebook page and introduced her business and shared every milestone.
Credit: Nick Graham
Credit: Nick Graham
“Trenton learned about coffee with us. I learned so much to start out — I was blown away — I cannot believe how much can be done with coffee,” Herbel said.
The idea of coffee flights at State Street followed her love of sampling things, so she pursued the idea after finding examples on the internet. She worked at home to make her first batch of flights, which she then posted a photo to Facebook and received impressive feedback and her story was picked up by various news outlets.
“I think overnight, it felt like it hit like 47,000 people or so, that was just mind-blowing,” Herbel said.
Upon opening in 2021, Herbel said they hit the ground running, hoping for the best. But the success of her Facebook page was made apparent when the doors opened and the community was waiting eagerly.
“So we opened up, we just hit the ground running with it and didn’t know what we were doing. So we were just winging it. You know, I do see why people don’t do flights. They’re time consuming, but I think ours has a really good price to it,” Herbel said.
The flights are 3.5 to 4 ounces and have four served on a board. There are four categories of flights to choose from including espresso, cold brew, coffee and tea which has the option to add boba. Each are $9 and they are only served on the weekends unless you give the shop prior notice.
“It’s hard to do flights during the week because we don’t have as many staff here, and we might get a line out the door, so I get why shops don’t do it I guess, but man it’s been fun. Like we get to make up different flavors and I would say to date, the most popular coffee flight ever was the Girl Scout cookies,” Herbel said.
State Street’s flights are ever-changing as new seasons come and go. They have done seasonal flights for Christmas, fall, summer and even a Girl Scout cookie theme in March. The flights are categorized but each are customizable with alternate milk and flavors. Frappe flights are next on Herbel’s list to accomplish.
Credit: Nick Graham
Credit: Nick Graham
“I see the struggle of getting coffee consistent with baristas and things like making drinks, and here, they got it right, so I give kudos to them,” Herbel said.
She is hoping to eventually put a barista on flight duty for their shift so they can better cater to those who come in specially for the flights and for those who just want to get their coffee.
“I actually talked about when [people] come in and you’re deciding for flight, we give you a flight menu, and you can go sit down, and then the flight [person] come over and get your order. So really, we’re kind of still working through the process,” Herbel said.
Herbel enjoys getting to connect with the community and beyond as people have traveled to come visit her coffee shop, specifically for the flights because they can’t find it anywhere else.
State Street works with Yield Coffee Roasters, whom Herbel felt a strong connection with and was inspired by their free trade practices, therefore they have worked hand-in-hand to produce the perfect beans for the shop and special blends.
The storefront has a cozy, inviting aesthetic that features local vendor’s products which spruce up the space and provide exposure for local business owners — some of which include Johnson Family Farm jams and honey, Your Story by KJ, Petals and Wicks custom coffee candles, M.Banks Creates and more.
Herbel doesn’t turn a blind eye to her connections within the community, in fact she works to build more every day. State Street has a trailer that Herbel and her husband built out to bring a limited menu of cold brew, espresso beverages and a few syrups to various Friday night football games and peewee events.
Weekly during the school year she provides Edgewood teachers with coffee by taking orders and then delivering it to the school, then donating 10% of the earning back into the schools. She has also received donations to help support the teachers, especially during teacher appreciation week.
“Honestly, this was all just laid on my heart like we needed something for the community in Trenton. COVID-19 had just ended, nobody’s socializing, nobody was getting together… but I just wanted a place where everybody felt comfortable,” Herbel said.
How to go
What: State Street Coffee
Where: 938 W. State St., Trenton
Hours: 6 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. weekends.
Other: Online ordering available at statestreetcoffeeinc.com.
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