Long Island City, a neighborhood once considered theย dominion of taxi garages and film studios, is at lastย so up and coming that outsiders now realize itโs actually in Queens. As the area sees wave after wave of condo booms, coffee will inevitably follow. Tobyโs Estate, a roaster with US operations in Brooklyn, Manhattan, and soon Seattle, recently crossed the Pulaski Bridge from Brooklyn toward opportunity.
The company, which originated in Australia, opened its fifth New York City cafe earlier this year within a turn-of-the-century brick building in Long Island City, gutted from the ground straight through to its third-story top for a dramatic cathedral effect, bringing the sun right in.
The cafe space has the characteristic Tobyโs polishโthe shops always feel rather adultโbut with an extra touch of warmth. As you step insideโand off the chaotic thoroughfare of Jackson Avenueโyouโre guided toward the bar alongside a long, sleek, serpentine wood bench. The cafeโs tasteful doses of walnut veneer, marble countertop, and just enough fancy floor tile all work together to invite you inโand back, toward the promising courtyard.
The space is the collective effort of co-owner Adam Boyd in partnership with Studio Vural, says Boydโs partner, Amber Jacobsen. โAll the tile and the beautiful bench seats were all designed by Adam,โ she says. โHe sources all the wood, heโs into all of that, and then I come in and go, โWouldnโt it be nice to have a fake taxidermy papier-mรขchรฉ walrus?โ โ
Tobyโs Long Island City is โgoing to be a fantastic cafe for us, especially in the summer,โย says Jacobsen. The pair envisions aย back courtyard filled with patrons happily sipping afternoon coffeesโand hopefully a grill, working up breakfast rolls and fancy sausages. A beer and wine license may emerge as well. โThe only disappointing thing is you canโtย bring your dogs,โ Jacobsen adds.
Despite the courtyardโs inarguable appeal, this cafeโs location may at first surprise fans of the brand, which is known for prime locations such asย Northside Williamsburg and Manhattanโs Fifth Avenueโbut itโs all part of a long-term plan, according to Boyd. The developers working along this stretch of Jackson are trying hard to ensure a bit of authenticity to the areaโs rapid growthโnever mind the Chipotle across the street. Despite the newness of this areaโs urban vertical expansion, youโll see independents moving in alongside Tobyโs LIC, Boyd promises. Look for Luzzoโs pizza and even a bookstore to fill out adjacent street-level shops.
And of course, inside, the appeal to the areaโs swelling residential community is obvious. Alongside Tobyโs own coffee, roasted for now at itsย Williamsburg location, the cafe offers small breakfast plates (Kossarโs bagels, avocado toast), a few wee packaged snacks (Good Batch cookies, McClureโs chips), and a variety of ice cream and coffee concoctions made with Van Leeuwen ice cream. Atop the bar youโll see a La Marzocco Strada for espresso and a Nuova Simonelli Mythos Oneย grinder, as well as a Hario V60 pour-over bar, and three cold-brew drafts on tap. (The tempting background players include a smattering of Mazzer grinders, a FETCOย for batch-brewed filter coffee, a Marco Ecosmart PB10, a Hamilton Beach shake machine for those ice cream drinks, and a Soda Stream).
Jacobsen saysย the roasterโs expansion north is not part of a strong desire to fill each borough with Tobyโs Estate cafes. โWe really see ourselves as wholesalers,โ she says. โWe really want to source great coffee and sell it to our partners. The retail stores are almost happenstance when we see a great opportunity and see a wonderful space.โ
Looking beyond this particular happenstance, Boyd and Jacobsen have theirย eyes on expanding roasting operations and adding larger laboratory and education space along with that. โWeโre sort of outgrowing our Williamsburg space, which is a bit annoying,โย says Jacobsen. Planning out the new roastery, as well as a residence inย May at the KEXP-La Marzocco Cafe in Seattle, and the opening of a permanent Tobyโs Estate cafe in downtown Seattle, are next on theirย agenda. Wellโthose things, and getting that back courtyard grill installed in Long Island City in time for summer.
Liz Clayton is the associate editor at Sprudge Media Network. Read moreย Liz Clayton on Sprudge.