Blue Bottle’s newest New York City outlet quietly arrived 5 weeks ago at ABC Home in Manhattan. Continuing their trend of opening some of the smallest stands and shops in the city (like the diminutive Dean St. storefront in Brooklyn), this Murphy Bed of a kiosk is located among the dry goods of the ABC Market in the Flatiron, open on Saturday and Sunday afternoons.
Helmed by Blue Bottle’s Bradley Simmons and staffed by Mayme Stansfield, the location will offer the same beans as Blue Bottle’s other outlets, both brewed and bagged for retail. The current pour overs and ice coffee options will be supplemented with espresso from a La Marzocco GS/3 single-group machine, brought in this past weekend.
The goal is to not only to offer coffee for consumption, but to focus on public education with brew demos and tastings. The close quarters means more interaction with the customers, allowing Simmons and Stansfield to answer questions and offer suggestions to their more inquisitive patrons.
A public cupping of coffees from noted Panamanian producer Graciano Cruz is scheduled for this coming Sunday, July 6th at noon. The event is hosted by Blue Bottle green buyer (and Sprudgie Award winner) Stephen Vick, who will also be exhibiting fine coffees from Ethiopia, Colombia, and Mexico. Attendance is free; the many tasteful wares of ABC Home most assuredly are not.
D. Robert Wolchek is a Sprudge contributor based in New York City. Read more D. Robert Wolchek on Sprudge.
