About

Scout's Coffee Bar + Mercantile opened in August 2016 in High Bridge, New Jersey with the aim to provide a comfortable place for neighbors to meet and connect over coffee. Scout's was founded by local artist Nicole Poko who carefully designed and curated the shop to evoke an urgency to slow down and be in the moment.  Poetry and dried floral arrangements are discovered around the century-old tin ceilings and walls.  

At Scout's, baristas are trained to the standards of the Specialty Coffee Association, a non-profit organization which leads the coffee industry in the mission to engage, inspire and expand a sustainable global community for specialty coffee. In 2018, Scout's opened a bakery space in the 400 square foot basement with a vision for full creative control of the pastries created in-house. 

By 2021, Scout's expanded their location to an adjacent retail space called The Parlor at Scout's.  This space is used as a larger dining area during the daytime and events on off-hours. The Parlor hosts monthly community events such as StorySlam and Gay Coffee Social which have attracted media and guests from all over New Jersey. 

In August 2023, Scout's purchased their first coffee roaster, a Mill City 2 KG roaster, and began their endeavor as an in-house coffee roaster.  In December of 2023, NJ.com named Scout's Coffee Bar the #4 best coffee shop in NJ against 43 cafés.  Serving the residents of the Northern Hunterdon County community as well as the visitors of the local Columbia Trail, Scout's continues to expand what they originally set out to do which is help people slow down to connect over a cup of coffee in a comfortable space.