Starting fresh is hard. Blank slates are sublime, but spooky. Where to begin, and how to avoid the mistakes of the past?

From early American utopians to 1960s back-to-the-landers, a fresh start meant dropping out for some far-out frontier. For us, far out is a state of mind. At Superior Merchandise Company, we aim to remake the world with our own hands, without losing contact to the world itself. With your help, here’s how we do it.

Eliminate excess. Eat more plants. Face to face more and interface less. Forego fast fashion and fast food for quality worth the wait. Cure choice paralysis with curation. And only drink really good coffee.

Like any business on the frontier, we serve many purposes for many people. A fueling station for fellow travelers, we offer seasonal refreshments, single-origin coffee by our sister brand Touchy Coffee, and small-batch snacks. A general store for picky pioneers, we offer works and wares by global makers, garments of our own design, and provisions for well-stocked pantries. A meeting point for old pals and fast friends, we host readings, tastings, pop-ups, and workshops in our little corner of Troy, NY.

And while our website connects all of us with all of this across space and time, connection in our café and showroom happens between people. Those who commune with us become cherished companions on this trip we’re taking. Winding our way out of a wilderness of waste, we know a simpler, cleaner, kinder world is near, and think optimism pairs nicely with a perfect espresso.