Cooley Dickinson Hospital and the Friends of Cooley Dickinson Hospital appreciate the attention brought to our coffee shop featured in the recent story in the Daily Hampshire Gazette, but we would like to clarify some misinformation and provide some additional context. The CDH beloved coffee shop is certainly not closing. In fact, the coffee shop hours of operation and service offerings are expanding to seven days per week!
The CDH Nutrition Services team will soon begin managing daily coffee shop operations, a step aimed at providing an enhanced service for patients, visitors, and staff. The coffee shop’s new operating hours will be Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The updated menu will feature a selection of freshly made breakfast sandwiches, lunch sandwiches, individual pizzas, grilled items, and fresh salads (including locally sourced produce), with the addition of grab-and-go options for convenience. Gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan options will also be available to meet a variety of dietary preferences. Starbucks hot and cold beverages (not a Starbucks franchise) will be available in addition to other beverage options.
This transition builds on the longstanding contributions of the Friends of Cooley Dickinson Hospital and their volunteers, whose service has supported the hospital community for many years. The CDH coffee shop is vital to our community hospital, and this transition helps ensure its future while allowing the Friends to continue supporting hospital initiatives through the gift shop and other fundraising events.
The CDH community is grateful to the Friends of Cooley Dickinson Hospital and the volunteers who have run the coffee shop over the years and compassionately donated funds back to the hospital to support overall hospital services. Post-pandemic, coffee shop demand has outpaced volunteer availability to run the service, and the Friends have asked Cooley Dickinson Hospital to run the coffee shop moving forward.
While there may be additional faces behind the counter when the transition happens this summer, volunteers are still welcome to assist with the coffee shop. We will continue to be the small, friendly coffee shop where patients socialize after their cardiac rehab appointments, the place where grandparents reflect upon the birth of their new grandchild, and the spot where a hospital employee enjoys a chocolate milkshake.
The coffee shop remains open. It will temporarily close for a couple weeks this summer for some needed refurbishments. Further details, including the official reopening date, will be announced this summer.
Kevin Whitney is president and chief operating officer of Cooley Dickinson Hospital and JoAnne Finck is president of Friends of Cooley Dickinson.