FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM DECEMBER 5, 2019 • BUZZ • THE QUEENS COURIER 67
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Photo courtesy of Kathryn M. Sheldon
Joe Coff ee opens roastery in Long Island City
BY ANGELICA ACEVEDO
Joe Coff ee, a New York-based specialty
coff ee shop that was founded in 2003,
recently unveiled a new brand identity
and opened their fi rst-ever standalone
roastery in Long Island City.
Th e “pioneers of the local Th ird Wave
coff ee movement” was founded by
Jonathan Rubinstein, who still serves as
the CEO, with its fi rst storefront in the
West Village. Now, they have more than
20 cafes located in Manhattan, Brooklyn
and Philadelphia — and their new Long
Island City Roastery, Cafe and Lab, located
on 40-37 23rd St.
“We’ve always loved coff ee, and we’ve
always loved the diverse communities
that make New York City so singular,”
Rubinstein said. “Since opening 16 years
ago, we’ve strived to combine the two, creating
spaces where people from all walks
could not only get a great cup of coffee,
but also feel welcome to linger a little
longer.”
Th anks to a 2017 partnership with
Danny Meyer’s Enlightened Hospitality
Investments, they’ve also grown their
presence online, wholesales and catering.
Joe Coff ee’s new brand identity, with
a new color palette made up of diff erent
shades of blue, features their updated
specialty mark and includes a redesigned
bench inspired by the original — which
serves as a nod to the community that’s
been with them since the beginning.
“We’ve been working on this new brand
identity ever since our partnership with
Enlightened Hospitality Investments has
allowed us to do the important work of
looking inward, encouraging us to be
bolder in asserting our mission and core
values,” Rubinstein said.
Th ey worked with renowned designers
Godfrey Dadich Partners (GDP) to better
defi ne Joe Coff ee’s core values and make
it immediately recognizable to their customers.
Th eir core values are: “Curiosity,
craft , commitment and community.”
“We’ve still got the same goal of weaving
a tapestry of mutual respect and admiration
with the community we’re inhabiting
and its artistry, in or outside of New
York, and serving up great, high-quality
coff ee combined with our Joe expertise
— now, just with a bit more swagger,”
Rubenstein said.
Danny Meyer, CEO and founder of
Union Square Hospitality Group and the
co-founder and Partner of Enlightened
Hospitality Investments, said they were
excited to help Joe Coff ee unearth what
distinguishes them from other coff ee
organizations.
“It’s not hard to see that beyond awesome
coff ee, a big part of the magic is how
Joe welcomes each one of its customers
like a regular, whether it’s a fi rst visit or a
hundredth,” Meyer said. “Now we’re excited
for the team to unveil a striking new
look that stays true to Joe’s humble origins
and bold brand mission.”
In addition to a new logo and online
look, their cafes have also received updated
signage, new in-store ceramics with the
new branding, a new coff ee bag design
that emphasize the coff ee’s origins and
information, to-go cups, and tote bags.
According to Joe Coff ee, select cafes will
also receive interior upgrades to create
a “more comfortable and inviting atmosphere,”
starting with their Lexington
Avenue location.
Th ere is also Joe Coff ee app in the works
with a new loyalty program that will be
available on iPhone and Android.
Meanwhile, their newly opened Long
Island City space is off ering a new way
for the community to interact with them.
All of their coff ee for retail and wholesale
will be roasted at the location’s roastery,
while the cafe can seat up to 11 customers
and will serve a full cafe menu
with special selection of rotating seasonal
single origin off erings available on pourover
as well as single origin espresso beverages.
Th e Lab, in turn, will be a home
base for Joe Coff ee training and cupping,
as well as public educational classes like
Explorations in Roasting and, eventually,
private events.
Th e cafe will be open on a daily basis
from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information,
visit www.joecoff eecompany.com.
/www.joecoff
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/eecompany.com
