Schoodacs Coffee & Tea

Schoodacs Coffee & Tea in Warner, New Hampshire, offers a sense of community along with great coffee

Photo by Sarah Kenney

Sarah Kenney and her family have recently adopted Warner as their permanent home. Sarah writes and photographs for her award-winning food and travel blog called “Thyme.”

When I met Kristin Parker and learned that she and her husband Darryl were reaching for the same dream as our family, there was an instant connection. We were both yearning to move to a quiet, picturesque, small town we could call home. As we searched in tandem, but had not yet met, it was Warner that attracted both our families. A quaint main street … check. Local characters with big hearts … check. A tucked-away town where life moves at a lovely slow pace … check.

The dream for Darryl and Kristin was to set up a coffee shop in a cozy town like Warner. That dream is now a reality. Schoodacs Coffee & Tea is now open in a renovated historic home at 1 East Main St. A large, welcoming porch beckons locals to sit for a spell, read the paper and sip on wonderfully brewed cups of joe. Darryl hopes to bring together the community and describes his vision as “building community one cup at a time.” A piano sits on the porch during the summer but is moved inside during the winter. Guests are invited to warm their fingers on the keyboard. Darryl explains that the name Schoodacs is found nowhere else in the US. Local historians tell the story of the name’s origin stemming from the sound (an onomatopoeia) made by the swoosh of the saw blades when Warner was predominantly a sawmill town. 

The couple is passionate about good coffee. They scour roasters internationally in order to pick the right suppliers for their blends. Maple lattés, both iced and hot, are the most popular drink choice and the maple syrup is supplied from nearby Kearsarge Gore Farm. In addition to artisanal coffees, they are serving premier loose-leaf teas, like pu erh hazelberry sourced by carefully chosen suppliers. Need a little gift? Nicely packaged boxes of gourmet teas can be purchased on the spot.

Freshly baked scones, like orange-cranberry, are made right there in the shop oven and soon, muffins. Flaky, generously sized croissants are sourced from Tarte Café and Bakery in nearby Andover. Pleasant Lake Cheesecake Company in New London bakes up cute mini cheesecakes in turtle, lemon and maple walnut flavors when it’s time to indulge.

Schoodacs and local children’s author, David Elliott, are collaborating to introduce a series called “The Writer’s Edge,” bringing the tradition of writers, coffee shops and readers together. Reaching further out to the community, local artists will be displayed on the walls. What a wonderful addition to Warner.