Business Profile: Hudson Hil’s Café and Market, Cold Spring
Living in the area, Hilary Hayes and her husband noticed something was missing in Cold Spring. While other restaurants in the Lower Hudson region utilized local, that wasn’t the case in the village.
When the Hayes opened up Hudson Hil’s Café and Market, they wanted to change that.
“Just here in Cold Spring, there wasn’t an option,” Hilary Hayes said. “And now that we’ve done it, there are a couple more people sourcing locally but it wasn’t kind of an option here.”
And the fact that the restaurant taps into local produce from farms, much of it organic, is what makes the three-year business unique. With fresh ingredients and a friendly atmosphere, Hayes enjoys the daily work of keeping the café running smoothly.
All the ground beef, sausages, hams, syrup, jams, eggs, milk, and “as much as we can” come straight from the farm. Once it reaches the kitchen, Hayes said only 1 percent of the food is prepared outside the premises. If possible, Hayes tries to connect with other small businesses in the area and partner with non-profits as well.
Hudson Hil’s bought the previous business in October 2010 and then reopened it two months later in December. It serves breakfast all day and lunch.
Usually, either Hilary or Bob are at the café. Hilary, who has a background in finance, is the numbers side of the business, while Bob, who is a trained classical chef, is the culinary side.
It’s a perfect fit, considering the two first met when they were working at a restaurant many years ago.
“We knew what we were getting into,” Hayes said. “It’s a good relationship.”
Prior to opening the restaurant, Hilary was an equity analyst in international finance where she commuted to the city everyday and even traveled to countries in Europe, Asia and Latin America. She loved her former job, but didn’t like being away from her two young children.
As for Bob, he was at home with the couple’s children, but wanted to get back into the kitchen. Before that, he was an executive chef out west.
After doing all the projections and calculating, the couple made sure it was prepared.
“We kind always thought it would be fun,” Hayes said. “But it wasn’t something that was part of our goals.”
“It seemed like the right thing to do at the right time,” she added.
And the community has embraced it. Being away so often, Hayes felt out of the loop on community happenings but now she’s ingrained in the community.
She enjoys seeing her 7-year-old and 5-year-old come in, along with their friends. She also is happy to see either regular come by the café several times a week and get to know them better.
And the fact that she lives in the community makes what she does in the café even more meaningful.
“We live here, we know people here,” Hayes said. “We feel like it’s important to bring integrity to the table because it’s our reputation and we live and work in this same small town so we strive for that everyday.
