‘SENSE OF COMMUNITY’
Small Business Spotlight: Roots Café
Have you ever driven by a business and thought to yourself, “I really should stop in there one of these days”? And then it’s weeks or even months before you actually get around to going in? That was exactly the situation I experienced with Roots Café. I’m a regular customer now and wish I had started patronizing the little restaurant sooner. So take my advice — less thinking and more stopping in!
Roots is located at 705 Columbia Turnpike. It’s open for breakfast and lunch, Tuesday-Friday 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Saturday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The business has changed hands and names a few times since its establishment. East Greenbush locals may remember the business started out as The Country Trunk, before becoming the Cottage Café with the Country Trunk next door. Both businesses shuttered during the pandemic. The recently renamed café and gift shop are currently in the capable hands of Amy Puls Riemer, who celebrates her one-year anniversary of owning Roots next month.
Originally from Rensselaer, Puls Riemer moved out at eighteen and tried to make a life for herself somewhere new. She spent twenty years in
Boston, including a highprofile job as the event manager for the (New England) Patriots. But something was missing.
“As much as I loved Boston, I didn’t have a strong sense of community,” Puls Riemer said. “I missed that small-town feeling. This is the only spot that ever really felt like home.”
When Puls Riemer’s mother passed away four years ago, it made her realize how badly she wanted to come back. Running her own business was an idea she’d had for a long time, and she felt perhaps returning home would give her that opportunity. Her instincts turned out to be correct.
“I used to come here with my mom when it was The Country Trunk,” Puls Riemer recalled. “My friend Ginger told me when it was for sale. I reached out to Kim, the owner, and it was almost kismet. I was seeing a lot of signs that it was the right time.”
Puls Riemer took over in August of last year and set to work developing her new business. The former owner was also her mentor and gave her a lot of guidance and help with her vision — including all of the café’s furniture. Puls Riemer knew she wouldn’t be able to use the whole building, so she worked out a deal with her landlord to size down to only half the space.
The café’s name was the first thing she figured out, and it was an easy choice.
“I named it Roots because I was returning home, coming back to my roots,” Puls Riemer explained. “I also wanted to build a sense of community, helping others to establish their roots.”
Part of that sense of community meant helping local artisans, which is why almost everything sold in the attached gift shop is locally made or state-made. They are unique products that you won’t be able to find anywhere online, giving the shop more of a boutique feel. It’s why Puls Riemer refers to it in the company name as a “giftique.”
Sizing down the retail space meant that Puls Riemer could have a dedicated spot for the gift shop but focus her efforts on the café. She took inspiration for the menu from a coworker at the real estate firm where she still works, who at the time was also the owner of Peaches Café in Albany. She also kept some of the most popular recipes from the Cottage Café menu, so that people who had been regular customers would find familiarity in the new restaurant. Keeping the Cottage Café’s décor also helped maintain familiarity. Puls Riemer loved the way it looked and felt it was right in line with her vision for Roots.
“I want it to feel like home, like you’re having lunch at your grandparents’ house, but also with more of a modern look — almost like an industrial farm,” Puls Riemer explained. “And I didn’t want it to be a quick in-and-out deli. I wanted it to be homemade comfort food, fresh and hearty, something mom would make.”
So far, that vision is working well for Roots. Puls Riemer teamed up with her cousin’s wife, Teila Leimonas, who creates the café’s decadent desserts and helps with the menu. There are daily specials alongside familiar favorites, all in a cozy setting that feels like you’re enjoying breakfast or lunch on a friend’s back porch. Almost everything on the menu is made inhouse, to order. Puls Riemer is happy to report that she’s making new friends and helping the community to establish some roots.
“It’s been nice,” she said. “It’s brought me back home. I don’t feel so disconnected now. We have repeat customers who have become like family to me. A lot of seniors liked coming to the Cottage Café, and they like coming here too, but I’m also seeing more younger customers in here now. It’s great.”
So far, Roots has been able to expand its menu to include gluten-free and vegan options. There’s a suggestion box in the café where customers can share their favorite recipes. Drop yours in the box, and it just might wind up on the menu. Every Friday, veterans and first responders can get free coffee. It’s Puls Riemer’s way of, as she puts it, “giving back to those who are there for us.”
The whole café can be rented out for parties and special events on evenings and weekends. And next month, Santa will be stopping by for breakfast. There’s a lot going on, and Puls Riemer is happy with it.
“I’m happy I finally took the leap,” she mused. “I wanted to prove to myself that I could do it. It’s certainly different from working for the Patriots, but it’s got its own stresses. Different stresses. Compared to that job, a lot of what goes on here seems easy.”
Looking ahead, Puls Riemer would like to see her business stabilize enough to be able to start hosting regular special events. The restaurant industry is known for a high turnover rate, and Roots isn’t immune to that. Puls Riemer is looking to hire more staff, and she can be very flexible with schedules and availability. She would love to have friendly, creative minds join her team who can help her to continue moving Roots in the direction she wants to go, such as building an online store for the gift shop and hosting weekly socials and afternoon tea service. She’s even looking to start her own tea line. But she needs help to make it all happen.
Until then, she’s going to focus on keeping business steady, trying to stay ahead of the challenges faced by any small business owner.
“Being a small business owner is a double-edged sword,” Puls Riemer said. “It comes with its own stresses, but your fate is in your own hands. You have creative freedom.”
And for the time being, Puls Riemer is channeling that creative freedom into helping the community find its roots. Stop in and say hi to her, and you just might find yourself putting down some roots of your own.
For more information about Roots Café and Giftique, visit https://cafeeastgreenbush.com/.
Are you a small business owner in Rensselaer County and the surrounding area who would like to be featured in an upcoming Small Business Spotlight? Email mschuman@saratogian.com.