Now parked outside the High Line Hotel Intelligentsia in Chelsea, NYC – the brand new Intelligentsia Coffee “Mini Bar”, housed in an elegant 1967 Citroen HY Van. The van was found in France, rebuilt in Jersey, and ready to travel – Intelligentsia plans to mobilize it once the New York City weather shifts to Winter-mode. Where? We’ll find out soon enough.
Intelligentsia caused quite a commotion in 2008 when they removed twenty-ounced beverages from their menu. The Mini Bar takes it to the next level, limiting its size to eight ounces. We spoke with Mr. Stephen Morrissey and asked him to tell us more about the Citroen, the concept, and the eight ounce size limit.
“We worked with the hotel and found it earlier this summer,” Morrissey tells us, “It’s a 1967 Citroen HY van in full working order, so we had it shipped to New York and refurbished it in Jersey. We put in a 2 group Strada EP, and a pourover bar. As a nod to its European roots, we’re keeping 8oz as the biggest size for hot drinks, and only doing espresso, macchiato and gibraltar in ceramic/glass. Cappuccinos are in 6oz paper cups and lattes are 8oz. There is no hot chocolate or chai, however the lobby bar inside the hotel will continue to offer the full Intelligentsia coffeebar menu.”
The van will service the outdoor seating going in today.
The name “Mini Bar” is the unofficial affectionate name for the new espresso bar, as Mr. Morrissey puts it, “because that’s what the staff wanted to call it.”
Starting today, the bar will be open from 7AM-7PM every day until the weather gets too cold. According to Morrissey, “a more comprehensive coffee bar is being planned for installation next year in the same location.”
Photography by Joshua Littlefield for Intelligentsia.
More Citroen Van Realness:
