By Cecilia Sciullo | July 29, 2026
At Good Day Cafe, the staff clear your table for you. Not because you asked, but because manager Laura Snyder decided it makes customers feel welcomed. “We also have our staff come out and take care of tables. We put that expectation to clean up on us, not our customers, which I think makes it a little more welcoming,” she says. It is a small thing, and it tells you most of what you need to know about the place.
Tucked into Hamilton Shopping Center, Good Day Cafe is a nonprofit, independently owned coffee shop staffed by employees with autism, intellectual disabilities, and mental health diagnoses. It looks for the good in everybody, and it is also one of State College’s most genuine third places, a spot built for people to sit down and stay awhile.
Quick Facts: Good Day Cafe
📍 Address: 286 West Hamilton Avenue, State College, PA 16801 🕐 Hours: Monday to Friday, 7:30 am to 3pm | Saturday, 8am to 2pm | Closed Sundays 💲 Price Range: $ 📶 Wifi: Free 🔌 Outlets: Available, but not at every seat 🚗 Parking: Hamilton Shopping Center 🐾 Pets: Not allowed 🎉 Events: After-hours events available by request 🔗 Find them: Website| Facebook | Instagram
The Story
Good Day Cafe opened in 2018 with a clear purpose. “Our goal was, and still is, to create jobs for people with disabilities and to create job coaching opportunities,” Laura Snyder says. “So not only is it a job for somebody with a disability, but it’s also an opportunity for them to open up and take skills to business jobs.”
The cafe grew out of Strawberry Fields, a State College nonprofit human service agency that supports people with disabilities and works to build independence, social involvement, and self confidence through personalized programs. Finding the right storefront took a while. They needed a space big enough, with a parking lot and reliably cleared snow, and Hamilton Square Shopping Center met their needs.
The Third Place Test
In our first piece Coffee, Conversation, and the Places That Keep Us Coming Back, we outlined questions worth asking about any spot that claims to be a true third place. Here is how Good Day holds up.
Does it give you a reason to linger? There is no time limit on seating, and staying awhile is encouraged rather than tolerated. Seating is available most of the day, though a line can form in the morning. And because staff clear the tables, you never have to bus your own dishes or tidy up before you go, making your visit that much easier.
Does the staff know you? Regulars are part of the fabric here. “There’s a lot of people who have come in often enough that they get to know our other regulars and get to know our staff,” Laura says. People come back for the coffee, but they stay connected because they know the faces behind the counter and they believe in what the shop is doing.
Is there something happening beyond the coffee? Almost everything about Good Day is beyond the coffee. It is a working job-coaching site, the food is made by hand by the supported staff, and the shop hosts after-hours events that can be arranged directly with the cafe. It is a regular meeting spot for groups like the Happy Valley Changemakers Collective.
Does it have a real identity? Good Day is a nonprofit coffee shop in town that puts community and inclusiveness ahead of profit. Its tie to Strawberry Fields, its mission to create opportunity for people with disabilities, and its habit of looking for the good in everybody give it an identity no chain could copy. Bathrooms feature sticky notes on the walls where anyone can write a positive, encouraging or funny message. Also, there is a guestbook for customers to fill out with a positive message. These are examples of how Good Day stands out as a special inclusive space that encourages people to visit.
What to Order
The most popular drink is a hot latte, usually with caramel, vanilla, or mocha, or seasonal flavors like pumpkin spice in the fall. The food is a bigger part of the story than most people expect. Breakfast items and lunch items are served all day, all homemade and made to order. Try the chickpea salad with chopped vegetables and vinaigrette, or this summer’s special, Aiden’s fruit punch fizz, created by an employee. Good Day also has a real heart for dietary restrictions, in part because many of its staff have them. Ask about accommodations like the vegan white bean hummus sandwich, no cheese.
The Vibe
Good Day is the busiest mid-morning, from 8 to 10am, when the crowd comes in for coffee and breakfast before work. The rest of the day is calmer and easy to settle into. The space is bright and airy, with plenty of seating and outside seating when weather permitting. The atmosphere is warm and unhurried, shaped by a staff that wants everyone, customers and employees alike, to shine.
Good Day Cafe is just the next stop.
Take your own tour, and find your space.
Know a coffee shop that deserves the deep dive treatment? Tell us at csciullo22@gmail.com and we might stop there next.
Coffee, Conversation, and the Places That Keep Us Coming Back
