Box Kite Coffee

I’m a big believer that no market can ever really be truly saturated. No matter how many businesses are stuffed in the sardine can of your industry, if you can do it better, cheaper, or with greater distinction, the market will make room for you. Whether you’re making iPhone games, baby shoes or craft beer, the market rewards excellence.

New York City seems to me like one of those places we expect to be fully saturated, but new and interesting things keep popping up – and staying popped. This week I stopped into a newcomer on the New York specialty coffee scene, Box Kite in the East Village. A beautiful, minimalist space with white walls and dark wood, Box Kite is immediately comfortable. Guests can choose to sit at the bar or the few seats by the window, and the staff are welcoming and casual. Coffee offerings are scrawled on a butcher paper roll installed in the near wall – one choice each for straight espresso, pourover, or drip. When I visited, a MADCAP Ethiopian could be ordered as espresso or drip, with a third Ethiopian from Heart Roasters on pourover.

Given its size and seating arrangement, the cafe is best-suited for pairs or solo travelers. Sitting in the middle of the bar and sipping espresso served with a cookie and sparkling water, I had a curiosity-satisfying view of the chefs at work and could chat with the barista about the coffees. The cafe is open late, making it one of the few places in the city to get exceptional after-dinner coffee, and it’s truly a great place to do so.

I’m happy to see there’s still room for more of the good stuff even in a city as crowded as New York. I’ll be keeping my eye on Box Kite and thinking good thoughts their way to stay in business.