HAVE YOU BEAN THERE DONE THAT?

Spilling the beans on The Cracked Bean Roastery.

Words by Kathryn Hendry and Nadia Weller

by Krystal Zhang

Are you tired of running into your old hookup in the never-ending Dunkin’ line, and then proceeding to shit your pants immediately after one sip of your massive caramel swirl macchiato? God, so are we. If you’re looking to switch it up, The Cracked Bean Roastery is located in Eastwood, a beautiful residential neighborhood in Syracuse, and it has everything you’ve ever dreamed of. It’s truly a (no pun intended) “sweet escape.” Their menu is bursting with inventive drinks and delicious nibbles, and the atmosphere is majorly comforting.

Owner Michelle Cruse unknowingly started her coffee journey in 2016 when she stopped at just about every small coffee shop she could find during her road trip from San Francisco to Seattle. Cruse’s love for the coffee community blossomed further as she returned to New York and opened the doors to The Cracked Bean Roastery during the pandemic.

Faithful to her love of the community, the company is passionate about creating and maintaining relationships with other small businesses.

“Our business was started on the wholesale side of things — partnering with other local small businesses. The more successful they are in surveying and beverage-ing their clients, the more successful we are,” Cruse said.

The Cracked Bean features items from many local businesses, including tiny charcuterie bites from The Curd Nerd, delightful baked goods from

Sweet Praxis, and dairy products from Ripley Family Farm. Cruse explained this New Yorkbased farm produces milk solely containing the A2 protein, which gives their products a “creamier flavor” and allows those with lactose sensitivities to enjoy freely with no side effects (win-win!).

Satisfying every customer’s need is The Cracked Bean’s thing. Each month, the roastery features two specialty drinks, with this month’s special being a “dark strawberry mocha for the latte” and a “blushing cherub, strawberry lavender, lotus drink,” Cruse said.

With their Point of Sales system, the workers can glance back and retrieve any month’s specialty drinks, keeping customer favorites forever locked in their system.

It’s been two years since The Cracked Bean started welcoming customers, and Cruse laughs about the fact that they never really had a proper grand opening. Perhaps they will band with some of the other local businesses that flourished during the pandemic for a group-grand opening, but that’s never been a cause for concern.

In fact, most things don’t concern Cruse. Their primary goal has always been simplicity; at the end of the day, it’s just coffee. As Cruse stands atop her windowsill and waters her plants, she said with a shrug, “Sometimes you just want a great cup of coffee and a safe space.”