Coffee is a favorite drink of New Yorkers. Its strong and pleasant scent energizes you in the morning and boosts your mood. That is why it is consumed everywhere, including on the way to work, in parks, public places and in transport. Over the past decades, with the help of this drink, many entrepreneurs have built multibillion-dollar coffee empires. Therefore, it is not surprising that coffee shops can be found on practically every street corner in New York. Find out more about their appearance in the city and the evolution of the local coffee culture at i-new-york.
1. Coffee beans were roasted at homes until the process became industrialized
The oldest mention of coffee in New York dates back to 1668. The drink is reported to have been made from roasted coffee beans with the addition of sugar and honey. The process often brought discomfort to local residents. According to Meister, a resident of New York:
“Green coffee was scooped from barrels and bagged into greased sacks, ready to be pan-roasted by housewives whose ceilings blackened with the smoke of the scorched coffee beans” reports repeller.com.
This continued until the middle of the nineteenth century when a resident of New York, inventor Jabez Burns, created equipment designed for roasting a large number of coffee beans.
2. The first coffee shop in New York was named the King’s Arms
The coffee house opened its doors in 1696. It served roasted coffee beans along with a variety of delicacies, including sweets, cookies, baked goods and snacks. Since the prices in this establishment were high, only wealthy New Yorkers could try a new strong and tasty drink. However, the situation has changed in a few years. More coffee shops appeared in the city, and coffee prices decreased.
This drink slightly differed from one coffee shop to another. The most popular coffee was Green Dragon. New Yorkers made it using unroasted green coffee beans.
3. New York was one of the first cities in the United States to have coffee
In the 17th century, while citizens of other cities and countries drank tea for breakfast, New Yorkers preferred coffee. It was then that the city’s coffee culture began to emerge, and it quickly became the leader in the sale and supply of this drink in America. There are several historical facts that support this. By 1876, the United States had imported around one-third of the world’s coffee, most of which came through the port of New York. This city also gave rise to Manhattan, the first and biggest coffee district in the United States. There were always a lot of merchants who manufactured and sold coffee to New Yorkers:
“The simple fact is that coffee has been the center of life in New York for a very long time, and New York has been the center of coffee’s life in the United States for a very long time,” said 70-year-old Donald Schoenholt, co-founder of the Specialty Coffee Association of America and president of Gillies Coffee Company, one of the oldest coffee roasting companies, as reported by dnainfo
4. The CEO of the most well-known American coffee company and coffee chain Starbucks, Howard Schultz, was born in the Brooklyn neighborhood
Starbucks’ coffee empire emerged long before Howard became CEO. He started working for the company in 1982. Howard began his career as a client service representative and marketing executive. Additionally, he constantly came up with new ideas on how to expand Starbucks’ operations and boost its profitability. He looked for new coffee-making recipes, studied the coffee cultures of different countries and devised methods to improve customer service.
The first Starbucks store opened on the Upper West Side in 1994. It was the only place in New York where you could buy espresso. Over the next few years, a wide variety of coffee flavors emerged. Visitors could observe the process of making and pouring it into cups imprinted with the company’s siren-shaped logo. It was initially brown, but it was changed to green in 1987. As the company grew, Starbucks coffee became well-known in other cities throughout the United States and beyond.
5. New York has become the center of trends in the American coffee industry
Initially, Americans would purchase roasted coffee beans in stores and then make coffee at home. However, following the opening of the Starbucks coffee chain in New York, this beverage began to be sold in public places. Anyone could go to the coffee shop and order a cup of coffee. Soon, it became customary to consume it at cafes, on the streets, in squares and in parks. Furthermore, because of its strong flavor and pleasant aroma, Americans are accustomed to drinking coffee every day and treating their friends and acquaintances to it.
In fact, it was in New York that the world’s first espresso machine was built and presented to the public. In 1927, in the Greenwich Village neighborhood, New Yorkers first tasted automatically prepared espresso and cappuccino. It should also be noted that the global popularity of the coffee industry in New York was brought by the Starbucks logo on the cups. It was created on the initiative of Howard Schultz, the owner of the coffee empire, who loved this drink above all others and worked tirelessly to make it popular in the city.
6. New Yorkers drink coffee more often than other Americans
Over the past centuries, New York’s coffee culture has developed rapidly and become well-known around the world. Locals are very proud of this and believe coffee to be the finest drink for starting a productive day, gatherings in public places, parks or by the sea, as well as an enjoyable evening. As you walk down the street, you will notice multiple coffee shops serving flavorful hot coffee. New Yorkers drink it there or take it to-go to enjoy it at the office, on the road or during a walk. Donald Schoenholt stated the following:
«New Yorkers consume more coffee per capita that just about any place else in the country, with the possible exception of the United States Navy and Coast Guard, and fire stations, of which New York has more than any other city in the country,» reports dnainfo.com
7. Women were not allowed to enter coffee shops in New York
It is hard to picture modern residents of the metropolis living without coffee in their homes, workplaces or public areas. This beverage has long been a part of daily life and has earned both love and recognition. However, this was not always the case. The first coffee shops in New York were open to males exclusively. There was gender inequality between men and women until the 19th century. According to history, the equal opportunity for everyone to drink coffee appeared only after 1930, when women began to defend their rights:
«Women started to gain more political clout and stand up for their rights and advocate for themselves in the workplace,» says New York resident Meister, according to repeller
8. Coffee is an energy source for the city’s working class.
The combination of low coffee prices and cheap labor sparked the Industrial Revolution in New York City. Following the Second World War, the demand for coffee, as well as the volume of its production, increased significantly. Coffee has become an essential drink for Americans since it offers greater energy and makes you feel better. As a result, New Yorkers make coffee in the morning, during work breaks and take it with them while they go about their business.
9. One of the most prominent entrepreneurs in the coffee industry was a woman
To be successful in the coffee industry, a woman has to understand how to sell coffee effectively. It is not uncommon for a single unique idea to help launch a business and produce a lot of money. It once appeared to New York socialite Alice Foote MacDougall, who was born into an affluent family. Fate brought her together with a coffee vendor. They had three children. Later, he passed away. Throughout their years together, he had often spoken about coffee to Alice. She also decided to distribute it after her spouse died. Coffee was roasted first, and then delivered right to the doors of customers.
Later on, she had an idea. In order to draw in more customers, she and her assistant baked waffles and sold them for five cents along with coffee. As a result, their little and unknown store began to attract hundreds of customers per day. With the money she earned from selling coffee and waffles, Alice was able to open a restaurant in the heart of New York.
10. The coffee culture in New York was established by Italians and Greeks
Coffee has become a popular drink in New York City not only due to its strong taste but also thanks to the immigrants. In particular, the Italians and Greeks who migrated here knew how to make it in different ways. For example, an espresso recipe originated in Italy. Foreigners sold coffee in New York and taught Americans more about it, contributing to the development of the local coffee culture.