Coffee & Treats in Albany

The family behind Plum Dandy created a café-like environment where friends and neighbors can relish fresh frozen yogurt, smoothies, floats, bubble tea, and each other. Passionate about their community, team members open the space on Friday nights to the DJ group Karate to spin tunes while guests play board games and twinkle among the flashy lights. That passion extends to the health of the community, as crew members prepare all of their treats onsite daily, assuring that everything they dish out is nutritious. To complement the music and fine eats, the space exudes a café atmosphere in which sleek wood floors and exposed-brick walls comprise the interior décor. Outside, benches provide sidewalk seating, where passersby are 80% more likely to compliment a patron’s yogurt selection or posture.

The chocolatiers at Anthony's Chocolate Dipped Fruit combine the juicy sweetness of fresh fruit with the silky richness of chocolate. Confectioners submerge berries, cherries, pineapple, and other fruits into white or milk chocolate, and upgrade classic caramel apples by dipping the treats in chocolate and walnuts or nuggets of solid gold. Customizable gift baskets come loaded with seasonal fresh fruits, chocolate-dipped fruits, and savory goods such as Gouda cheese, crackers, and mixed nuts. Anthony's also offers themed gift boxes for special occasions such as birthdays, baby showers, and British bank holidays.

It was 1978. A college dropout and a failed medical-school applicant had just brought together their combined life savings to rent an old gas station. Their plan was to resurrect the empty station and open their own restaurant. Their specialty: ice cream. So begins the story of legendary entrepreneurs Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, who are better known across the globe as Ben & Jerry. Their small, old-fashioned ice-cream parlor eventually became a Burlington, Vermont favorite, and before long, shops popped up all over the U.S. and in 25 other countries. Their brand easily attracted customers––homemade ice cream churned from wholesome, natural ingredients and blended into creative flavors. Some of their popular scoops include Cherry Garcia, Chunky Monkey, and Coffee Caramel Buzz.

Since infusing their first rich and creamy batches of ice cream with natural chunks of fruit, nuts, candies, and cookies, Ben and Jerry have also operated with a commitment to improve the quality of life locally, nationally, and internationally. They practice sustainable food production and business practices that respect the earth and environment. Ben & Jerry’s cartons are made from FSC-certified paper, which comes from forests that are managed for the protection of wildlife, and waste from Ben & Jerry’s plants generates energy to power farms. The company works tirelessly to reduce its carbon emissions; it strongly encourages customers to eat their ice cream in the darkest dark.

Razzles, Sky Bars, Zotz, Bull’s Eyes. The sisters who co-own The Village Sweet Shoppe purposely stock a section of nostalgic candies whose names leave most contemporary youths scratching their heads. Nonetheless, visitors of all ages grow wide-eyed over rows and rows of bins filled with colorful gummy bears, sour watermelons, malt balls, nonpareils, espresso beans, and taffies, and many find themselves sneaking a bite the moment their self-served scoops are rung up. Like Proust's madeleine cake or George Washington's boyhood wig, the candies transport visitors back to their childhoods, which was the ultimate goal of proprietors Joie Smith and Kate Mayer. When they're not tracking down hard-to-find sweets, the sisters take their goods on the go, stocking candy buffets or chocolate fountains at local weddings and birthday parties.

Frozen mounds of kosher-certified yogurt spill from self-serve stations at Lemondrop Frozen Yogurt, awaiting more than 50 toppings. Armed with an empty cup or an umbrella turned upside down, guests capture the frozen rivulets of tahitian vanilla, espresso, cookies 'n' cream, and greek honey. They then sprinkle on fresh fruit and candy toppings such as blackberries, strawberries, chocolate-covered pretzels, and peanut-butter cups.