PLANNED FOR AMSTERDAM, NY
CTRL+J™ is a juice café planned for Amsterdam, with fresh drinks and a welcoming place to connect.
Stay to study, play on a PC, or get friendly tech help.
September 2026 business plan revised after SBDC feedback. Location search underway.
Get the location announcement, Kickstarter launch notice, and chances to shape the menu. Free to join.
OUR PROGRESS /
Target opening: August 2027. We are still preparing to open.
Meet Al Cole, founder. An IT, Cybersecurity, & AI Professional, school-district Computer Technical Assistant, and cybersecurity student at UAlbany. Al is building CTRL+J™ to give neighbors a welcoming place to connect and feel more confident with technology.
IN PLACE
STILL IN PLANNING
Advisor feedback supports the planning process; it is not an endorsement or funding approval.
FOLLOW THE LAUNCH
Join the free Founders List while the menu and space are still taking shape. You will hear from us when there is meaningful progress to share.
Prefer email? Ask to join by email, or send a question.
THE CAFÉ
Start with fresh drinks and good company. Work space, PCs, and practical tech help give you more reasons to stay.
Fresh juices, smoothies, coffee, matcha, and simple grab-and-go choices in a welcoming place to catch up with a friend.
A place to study, finish a project, or work remotely, with planned Wi-Fi, charging, printing, and computer access.
Eight managed PCs are planned for gaming and creative projects at launch. Console gaming is a possible later addition, depending on demand, licensing, and funding.
Patient help with device problems, setup, and online safety. You will get a clear scope and estimate before approving any work.
These services are planned; bookings are not open. During Quiet Hub hours, gaming stays off while a reduced café menu, work space, printing, productivity PCs, and scheduled IT help remain available. See the proposed weekly hours. Tell us what you would use.
MORE THAN A CAFÉ
IT help is part of the opening plan. Digital-literacy, online-safety, and responsible-AI workshops are planned for months 3–6 after opening, subject to staffing and funding.
Planning prices for feedback; access is not yet available to book.
Planning prices, subject to the agreed work. A free 15-minute intake will help identify service fit; hands-on repair is separate.
All work will require an agreed scope, written estimate, data-handling consent, and your authorization. Only authorized repair and defensive security work will be accepted.
Ask about planned IT services. Availability will be confirmed before any booking.
OUR COMMUNITY PURPOSE
CTRL+J™ aims to give Amsterdam a welcoming place to meet a friend, spend time after school, work on a project, or get help with technology.
Our goal is to bring people together and make useful technology and learning easier to access. Community feedback will help shape the space, workshops, and events as we prepare to open.
Safe Haven means a standard across the business: respect, clear conduct rules, privacy, and accessible service. It is for neighbors of every age, race, religion, creed, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, ability, and background.
We welcome the entire community, and we remain proudly and explicitly LGBTQIA+ affirming.
WHAT WE WANT TO MAKE POSSIBLE
NEXT MILESTONES
Our target is a limited soft opening in early August 2027, followed by the public opening that month. Dates depend on the location, funding, permits, and team being ready.
We are preparing a campaign to help bring the café to life. The campaign link, goal, and rewards will be shared when ready. Joining the email list is free and does not commit you to backing it.
This is the total project budget ceiling, not money already raised or the Kickstarter goal.
Funding is not fully secured. We will confirm costs and funding before committing to a location or construction.
NOW // FOUNDATION
Build on the revised plan with local surveys and conversations, property and supplier quotes, licensing tests, and campaign preparation.
PRE-OPENING // SITE + BUILD
Confirm a suitable property and funding before the fit-out. Complete permits, an accessible layout, café and technology setup, licensing, inspections, and staff training.
EARLY AUGUST 2027 // SOFT OPENING TARGET
Test the café, PC sessions, and IT intake during limited hours, gather feedback, and resolve issues before a wider launch.
AUGUST 2027 // PUBLIC OPENING TARGET
Welcome the wider community and focus first on reliable service. Add workshops from months 3–6 when staffing and support allow; explore workforce learning later under written agreements.
QUICK ANSWERS
Clear answers for a business that is still being built.
Not yet. The revised plan targets a limited soft opening in early August 2027 and a public opening that month. The date depends on a suitable site, full opening funding and an operating reserve, permits and inspections, commercial licenses, and trained staff.
We are looking for a suitable space in Amsterdam, New York. A final address and lease have not been secured. We will share the location once an agreement is in place.
Everyone. CTRL+J™ welcomes young people, adults, students, remote workers, families, and neighbors of every background, and is explicitly LGBTQIA+ affirming. Safe Haven describes our standards for respect, inclusion, and accessible service. We are a commercial café and technology hub, not a childcare, school-supervision, counseling, or crisis-care service. Age and gaming rules will be published before opening.
Planned topics include scam awareness, account protection, digital literacy, privacy, checking AI answers, and recognizing bias. Workshops are targeted for months 3–6 after opening and depend on stable operations, staffing, and sponsor or fee support. Later workforce activities would require written agreements and appropriate supervision.
Join the free email list, share the website, or contact CTRL+J™ with a menu idea, possible location, or collaboration proposal. A Kickstarter campaign is in preparation; we will share its link when ready. Joining the list does not make you an investor or guarantee a reward.
No. The menu preview, PC and Quiet Hub prices, and IT service prices come from our planning budget and are being tested against costs and local feedback. They are not current offers or reservations. Final prices and terms will be published before launch.
Yes. Our plan for after opening includes online ordering through this website, DoorDash, Uber Eats, Grubhub, and our own CTRL+J™ mobile app. Ordering is not available yet. We will publish the ordering links and app download details when they are ready.
Proposed hours for after opening; these are not current business hours.
On school weekdays, Quiet Hub is planned for 10 AM–3 PM with gaming disabled. Hours may change with staffing and demand; we will confirm them before opening.
LET'S TALK
What would make this space useful to you? Share a menu idea, a workshop topic, a community collaboration, or a possible location. We welcome your questions and suggestions.