Change is Brewing: Cleaning vs. Disinfecting

Pre-coronavirus, we were concerned with cleaning, maybe even tossing around the phrase “deep clean” now and again. We were thinking about cleaning in the sense of improving or maintaining the appearance of our shops. While this is still important, there is now an added layer to our “cleaning” regimen; disinfection. Continue reading Change is Brewing: Cleaning vs. Disinfecting

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Change is Brewing: Grand Reopening

More and more coffee shops are opening their doors again; a sight for sore eyes for the coffee drinking community, where a visit to a local coffee shop was only a little about a caffeine habit and almost entirely about routine and daily ritual. This is a small step back to some kind of normalcy that each one of us is craving. Continue reading Change is Brewing: Grand Reopening

The Faces Behind Each Cup

As a young girl in Sontule, Nicaragua, Doña Lucia spent her days picking coffee from the mountainside. Upon returning home, she would help her mother care for her ten younger brothers and sisters. Finally, when she lay down to sleep at each day’s end, she dreamt.  Lucia dreamt of a better life for her family, of access to education and medicine for her community. Instead, … Continue reading The Faces Behind Each Cup

Breaking New Grounds: LIC Corner Cafe

Every coffee shop is different, and no one knows that better than you—the coffee shop owners who build a unique story and brand with every cup. Welcome to our fourth edition of Breaking New Grounds.  There’s something about a cup of coffee that brings you closer to whoever you’re sharing it with. Based off LIC Corner Cafe in Long Island City, the same might be … Continue reading Breaking New Grounds: LIC Corner Cafe

Breaking New Grounds: The Market

Every coffee shop is different, and no one knows that better than you—the coffee shop owners who build a unique story and brand with every cup. Welcome to our next edition of Breaking New Grounds. While Asian and Western fusion-inspired fast-casual chains are becoming more and more widespread, The Market is one of the first fusion-cuisine establishments to operate as a specialty coffee shop. Former … Continue reading Breaking New Grounds: The Market

Breaking New Grounds: Frisson Espresso

Every coffee shop is different, and no one knows that better than you—the coffee shop owners who build a unique story and brand with every cup. Welcome to the latest edition of Breaking New Grounds. Co-owner of Frisson Espresso, Tulian, used to get a “word of the day” texted to his phone. One day, the word frisson popped up—a French word meaning “a moment of … Continue reading Breaking New Grounds: Frisson Espresso

Breaking New Grounds: LENA

The French sidewalk cafe is a cultural landmark—everyone knows the Parisian way of life, sipping coffee and people-watching. You can gain some of the same experience and cuisine at LENA, a French-owned cafe with two locations in Greenwich Village and the Lower East Side. Both serve specialty coffee roasted by La Colombe, though the Lower East Side shop functions now as a cafe-turned-wine bar. The … Continue reading Breaking New Grounds: LENA

Breaking New Grounds: Milk Bar and Brunswick

One major influence in the recent onset of third-wave coffee culture is that of Australian coffee culture. While Americans generally chug coffee to fuel through their workdays, Australians see coffee as a lifestyle—something to consume mindfully, and something that should be well-crafted. Thanks to the recent importation of these ideals, you won’t have to fly across the globe to experience this coffee culture—especially in sister … Continue reading Breaking New Grounds: Milk Bar and Brunswick

Breaking New Grounds: Extraction Lab

Every coffee shop is different, and no one knows that better than you—the coffee shop owners who build a unique story and brand with every cup. Welcome to our fifth edition of Breaking New Grounds. We’re in the midst of one of the most innovative eras for specialty coffee as well as for technology, and brewing machine company Alpha Dominche is making huge steps in … Continue reading Breaking New Grounds: Extraction Lab