This post is part of a special section on build–outs for the contemporary cafΓ©. Read more posts from the section here.
[I]rving Farm Coffee Roasters helped blaze the specialty coffee trail in New York City after being among the first shops in the city to offer single-origin and specialty-blend coffees. Since opening its Gramercy Park location in 1996, Irving Farm has expanded to locations throughout Manhattan, now roasting out of a space in Millerton, New York, about 100 miles north of the city.
As corporate coffee chains pepper the country with cookie-cutter designs, Irving Farm sought ingenuity in its latest cafΓ© build-out, opting to work with renowned architect Selim Vural, of Studio Vuralβa New Yorkβbased design and architecture firm. The new cafΓ© is housed in a classic, pre-war building in the Midtown East neighborhood.
Irving Farm was very intentional about the location. βThere is an unfortunate dearth of outlets for quality comfort food and drink, especially in a warm, community-oriented environment around that area,β says Maura Hehir, a member of the Irving Farm communication team. βWe thought that in this stretch of Manhattan with so many hotels and office buildings, we might have the opportunity to, in effect, βwelcome the neighborhood home.β We hope to foster more of a sense of community in this area for residents and to spread the feeling of a home away from home for visitors and commuters.β
Irving Farm buildings director Brandon Epting echoes Hehirβs sentiments. βWeβre a very sensitive group of people and aim to create spaces that are welcoming. We want to be part of a neighborhoodβcontributorsβnot just a retail space,β Epting says.
The cafΓ©βs black concrete floor features brass inlays, mirroring a portion of the sidewalk down the block and the timeless form of nearby landmarks, like the Chrysler building and the Waldorf Astoria. Epting explains that the blackened steel door and framed menu board, complete with burnished brass details, also reflect themes of New Yorkβs constant growth and construction.
βWeβve maintained many of our staple textures and materials,β Epting says. The companyβs roots in farming and nature are honored with tables and bar space crafted from white oak. Black fireslate countertops provide contrast to the lighter material, directing customers to the register.
βThe simplicity of these textures and colors blends the history and style of the neighborhood with our personality as a coffee roaster, and allows us to have a few modern elements that stand out,β Epting says.
Eight-foot Castor fluorescent tube lights illuminate the bar, framed by white oak ceiling boxes designed by Vuralβwhich, conveniently, also conceal the HVAC system. A sleek, Brendan Ravenhill church chandelier hangs above the walnut communal table. Moroccan clay tiles line the cafΓ© wall; Vural chose these to upgrade the traditional subway tiles commonly found in New York cafΓ©s. The tiles mimic the style of raw brick walls and add elegance, another callout to the neighborhoodβs luxurious hotels.
The coffee bar and seating area are the most visible elements of the build-out, but Epting says improving kitchen efficiency was also key for this projectβpreparing great coffee and a great meal quickly without getting delayed by customers in line is a challenge for many cafΓ©s.
βOur kitchens have always followed the line of our customer queue, with window passes open to the public,β Epting explains. βThis often creates bottlenecks, as customers like to watch their food be prepared and often chime in about βless pickles, more ham.ββ Epting says an open-style prep area is also problematic for kitchen storage, as prep areas have to be compact, limiting the amount of space for back-up ingredients and dish cleaning.
βFor this location, weβve placed the kitchen behind the bar as its own room,β he says. βThis provides ample space for ingredient storage, a full dish-cleaning area, ice machine, ventilation hood, etc.β A separate kitchen space also limits customer access, which means fewer interruptions, less food waste, lower cost of goods, and better efficiency producing quality meals.
The new cafΓ© is warm and welcoming, while still bringing cutting-edge design to the neighborhood. Vural emphasizes that forward-thinking design doesnβt have to exclude comfort or connection. He hopes for the new Irving Farm location to be an exampleβsetting a standard for quality design that offers new assets to the community, while blending harmoniously with the existing neighborhood.
The Midtown East location of Irving Farm opened earlier this year.
βEllie Bradley isΒ Fresh Cupβs editor.
Contemporary CafΓ© Build-Outs
ResourcefulΒ CafΓ© Build-Outs | Irving Farm Coffee RoastersΒ | Spotlight-Stealing Espresso MachinesΒ | Go Green |Β Henry’s House of Coffee