Introducing the Atlas Collection

A lot can happen in 22 years. Since opening our doors on the corner of Waverly and Gay in the Village, we’ve seen your kids become regulars, watched the city transform around us, and made it through highs, lows—and yes, even that citywide blackout in 2003. Through it all, one thing’s been constant: you. We’re here because of the community that’s grown with us, and we’re endlessly grateful. So let’s take a walk down memory lane at some of the moments that helped make Joe what it is today. 22. 2025 — Park Ave HQ & Training Lab OpensJoe’s HQ has taken many forms over the years—from no office at all, to a loft above our 13th Street cafe, to a tucked-away space behind our Pro Shop cafe, and eventually to the 6th floor of 443 Park Ave South. Today, in 2025, we’ve moved just four floors up—with a lot more space and an unforgettable view of the Empire State Building. By relocating our training lab from Long Island City and expanding our footprint here, we’ve deepened our commitment to connection and community. This new space allows us to welcome baristas on their first day, host public and private classes, and connect with more people across the Joe network than ever before. We’re incredibly grateful to call it home. 21. 2024 — Launch Ready to use EspressoIn collaboration with our friends at BKON and their Coldstretto® extraction technology, we captured the essence of our signature Waverly Espresso in a shelf-stable, ready-to-use bottle. Designed for ease and versatility, Ready to use Espresso brings the rich, balanced flavor of our espresso to wherever you are—no machine required. First introduced at Natural Products Expo West to an enthusiastic response, it’s a seamless addition to any home bar or coffee setup. From morning lattes to espresso tonics and even coffee-infused baked goods, this innovative product delivers cafe-quality taste in every pour. 20. 2023 — Parallel Coffee Services StartsWhat started as a behind-the-scenes support hub in the back of our Pro Shop cafe quickly grew into a trusted service partner for cafes across the city. Today, our in-house repair team is one of the things that sets Joe apart. With expert technicians on-call and ready to respond fast, we’re proud to offer the kind of reliability, knowledge, and care that New York’s coffee community can count on. 19. 2023 — The Village LaunchesThanks to the dedication of our VP of Coffee, Amaris Gutierrez-Ray, we launched a 100% women-produced coffee that highlights our commitment to gender equity year-round. This product serves as a platform to educate both our customers and staff about the importance of supporting women producers. It’s a key part of our ongoing initiative to champion gender equity every day, through coffee that celebrates the women behind the beans. 18. 2023 — The Ethical Business Council is FormedIn 2023, after years of conversation and collaboration, we launched the Ethical Business Council (EBC)—an employee-led, cross-functional group created to ensure more voices are represented in how we operate and grow. With members from every corner of Joe, from baristas to leadership, the EBC helps guide decision-making with equity, transparency, and integrity at the center. It’s a key part of how we’re building a more inclusive workplace—and a more ethical business—from the inside out. 17. 2021 — Cold Brew Can LaunchWe took our fan-favorite cold brew—made with our signature Great Heights coffee—and turned it into a ready-to-drink can. What started in our cafes is now available across the country, including select Shake Shacks, airports, and grocery stores. It was a major step in expanding Joe’s national reach, making it easier than ever to enjoy our cold brew anywhere, anytime. 16. 2019 — Long Island City Roastery OpensWe relocate from our shared roastery in Red Hook to a 4,000-square-foot space in Long Island City. This new facility became home to our Roastery Lab—a hub for training, cupping, public classes, and eventually private events. It also serves as our production and distribution center, where all of our coffee is roasted, with dedicated space for quality control and wholesale training. The move marked a new chapter in scaling our operations while staying true to hands-on education and craft. 15. 2017 — First Brooklyn Cafe OpensAfter 14 years in Manhattan, we crossed the East River and opened our first Brooklyn cafe on Hicks Street in Brooklyn Heights. This neighborhood has long held a special place in our story—it’s home to the Rubinstein family, who founded Joe back in 2003. On any given morning, you might spot one of them stopping in for their daily cup. 14. 2017 — Union Square Hospitality Group Partners with JoeImpressed by our shared values of quality, sustainability, and hospitality, Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group invested in our growth—enabling a brand refresh, the opening of five new cafes, updates to existing cafes, and helping us secure our wholesale relationship with Daily Provisions. To this day, USHG continues to help us improve and imagine new possibilities. 13. 2013 — Joe’s First Good Food AwardJust two years after we began roasting our own coffee, we earned our first Good Food Award for our Ethiopia: Illubabor – Camp Cooperative—a bright, complex coffee that stood out among hundreds of entries from across the country. Selected by a panel of past Good Food Award winners, this recognition was more than just a medal; it marked a turning point for Joe. It validated our commitment to sourcing exceptional coffee and roasting with care, and helped establish us as a roaster to watch—not just in New York City, but nationwide. For a company that started as a single cafe in the West Village, this moment affirmed how far we’d come—and how much we were capable of. 12. 2012 — Pro Shop Opens at 131 W 21st StBuilt for home brewers and coffee curious folks alike—we created Pro Shop to serve as a place to grab the gear you need, ask questions, and level up your at-home setup. One of the things that makes it special is the rotating lineup of guest roasters we feature alongside our own, giving you the chance to explore something new with every visit. It’s part retail, part education, and all about making great coffee feel a little more approachable. 11. 2012 — Joe: The Coffee Book is PublishedThe Rubinsteins teamed up with multiple James Beard Award–winning cookbook author Judith Choate and acclaimed food photographer Steve Pool to create a book that explores the close-knit, global specialty coffee community—celebrating the growers, buyers, roasters, baristas, and everyday drinkers who bring coffee to life. The book offers a behind-the-scenes look at how exceptional coffee is produced and shares brewing techniques for making a great cup at home, encouraging readers to consider the many hands and stories behind every sip. 10. ~2011 — Staff Seasonal Beverage Competition LaunchesOne of the most beloved traditions at Joe is the company-wide beverage competition, where creativity and friendly rivalry come to life. Over the years, it has given us iconic drinks like Roberta’s Lavender Earl Grey Latte, Mak’s Banana Bread Latte, Mami’s Yuzu Elderflower Spritz, and Rose’s Fig Balsamic Latte. Each season, the contest grows more inventive (and competitive)—and we’re always excited to see what new creations emerge. 9. 2011 — Joe Becomes a Coffee RoasterJoe’s roasting journey began in Red Hook, Brooklyn, inside the Pulley Collective—a shared industrial space with unforgettable views of the Statue of Liberty and the smell of fresh-roasted coffee. Led by Ed Kaufmann, our then Director of Roasting, this move marked a turning point for Joe. A passionate coffee enthusiast with roots at Café Grumpy and Stumptown, Ed convinced Jonathan Rubinstein to bring roasting in-house. With Ed at the helm, we began crafting our own roast profiles from the ground up—laying the foundation for the coffees that now define Joe. Our first roasted coffee began with a microlot from Huehuetenango, Guatemala, carefully selected by former Director of Roasting Ed Kaufmann after countless cuppings. Back then, we roasted just once a week—about 300 pounds at a time. Beans arrived on Thursdays and hit the shelves Friday, often selling out fast. For context: in 2025 alone, we’ve roasted nearly 100 times that amount. 8. 2010 — Gabby Rubinstein Marries Joe RegularCo-founder Gabrielle Rubinstein was known for setting up customers and friends on blind dates, so it’s only fitting that she met her husband, Anthony Cheong, through the Joe run club. After two years of friendship, a New Year’s Eve kiss in 2009 sparked something more. Their love story was later featured in The New York Times Vows section, and today, they live with their daughter Isi just a short walk from our Brooklyn Heights cafe. 7. 2010 — First Origin Trip to NicaraguaThree of our team members traveled alongside Steve Mierisch to visit his family’s farms and witness firsthand the journey coffee takes before it reaches our cafes. From biting into our first coffee cherries to walking alongside farmers and learning about Direct Trade in action, it was an eye-opening experience that deepened our connection to the people and places behind every cup. 6. 2010 — First Columbia University Cafe OpensIn 2010—seven years after opening our first cafe on Waverly Place—we opened our first Columbia University location in the Northwest Corner Building, the first of what would become five successful partnerships on campus. This move uptown introduced Joe to a whole new community: college students, faculty, and neighbors curious about coffee and eager to learn more. As much as we are there to keep students caffeinated, we also embraced the role of educators, sharing our passion for sourcing, quality, and craft with a new generation of coffee drinkers. 5. 2010 — SNL’s Bill Hader Bases Character on Joe BaristaActor, producer, director, screenwriter, and former Saturday Night Live cast member (2005–2013) Bill Hader—alongside longtime collaborator John Mulaney—based the iconic character Stefon on a barista from our Chelsea cafe. Hader, who once lived right across the street, has credited the “really funny and nice barista at Joe” as the inspiration, noting the rapport they built during his time as a regular. 4. 2005 — Lee Harrison’s First Barista ShiftOne of the things we love most about Joe is growing alongside the people who make it special. Lee Harrison started as a barista in 2005 at our second cafe, 13th Street, and went on to hold key leadership roles across the company, culminating in his promotion to COO in 2023. His hard work behind the bar and in the roastery—along with his steady presence and deep care—have helped make Joe, Joe. 3. 2005 — Second Cafe Opens on 13th St.A milestone moment in Joe’s early days came just two years in, when we opened our second cafe on 13th Street, right around the corner from Parsons. Above it sat our first semblance of an “office”—a small loft only accessible by ladder. It was scrappy, tight, and full of promise. We had no idea how quickly we’d outgrow it, but that space marked the beginning of something bigger. 2. 2003 — Amy Sedaris’ CupcakesThe Village has always been home to artists, actors, and creatives—and in our earliest days, that spirit showed up in the most unexpected way. Just days after we opened, Sarah Jessica Parker came by and suggested we carry her friend’s homemade cupcakes. Her friend happened to be Amy Sedaris. Within weeks, Sedaris was personally dropping off cupcakes at the cafe—always kind, always generous. The story took off, and soon we were getting calls from around the world. One person even tried to order five dozen for a wedding. It was our first real burst of press—and a memorable part of Joe’s early days. Sedaris donated all the proceeds to her rabbit rescue, a detail we’ll never forget. 1. 2003 — Joe Coffee Opens on the Corner of Waverly and Gay StreetWhen Jonathan and Gabby Rubinstein opened the doors at Waverly and Gay, there wasn’t much of a “coffee scene” in New York, but this little corner shop changed that. What began as a neighborhood cafe quickly became something bigger: a home for great coffee, warm conversation, and the early stirrings of third-wave culture in the city. It didn’t just serve coffee—it became part of the cultural fabric of New York, and helped shape a movement that would reach far beyond its corner.

We introduced the Atlas Collection back in 2020 as a line of limited-release single-origin coffees crafted to spotlight the values that guide our sourcing: quality, ethics, collaboration, and integrity. Each coffee in this collection is carefully curated by our team to not only reflect these principles—but to stand on its own as a truly delicious cup of Joe. Kenya Kapkiyai Origin: Nandi Hills, Rift Valley, Kenya Producer: Kapkiyai Farmers Cooperative Society Women’s Group While all four of our core values are deeply present in this offering from the Kapkiyai Farmers Cooperative Society Women’s Group in the Nandi Hills of Kenya’s Rift Valley, the heart of this sourcing relationship lies in its ethical foundation—addressing systemic inequities, prioritizing gender equity, expanding access to fair wages, and building inclusive structures within a historically exclusionary industry. The intentional work of Vava Angwenyi and Vava Coffee Ltd to challenge gender inequality, reinvest in communities, and create lasting opportunities for smallholder farmers—especially those living below the poverty line—exemplifies what it means to source coffee ethically and responsibly. These improved farming practices and intentional producer investments have led to the consistent production of top grades (AA, AB, PB), underscoring the connection between sustainability and cup quality. Kenyan coffees are often celebrated for their bright acidity, juicy fruit character, and exceptional clarity—and this offering is no exception. Grown at high elevations in nutrient-rich volcanic soil and cool mountain air, it delivers layered complexity and a vibrant, refreshing profile. Expect notes of rose, ripe mango, and tamarind, with a clean, lingering finish—hallmarks of high-quality Kenyan coffee. Ethiopia Atnago DA7REX The monument to coffee (a jebena pouring coffee), Jimma, Ethiopia Origin: Limu Seka, Oromia, Ethiopia Producer: Atnago Women's Cooperative As we travel to another region of Africa, we look to the birthplace of coffee: Ethiopia. One of its top-producing zones lies in the Jimma area of the Oromia Region in western Ethiopia—a mountainous, highly productive coffee-growing landscape. The region is defined by elevated highlands, rich and fertile soils, and a cool climate ideal for cultivating Arabica coffee. It accounts for over 10% of Ethiopia’s total coffee output and more than 20% of Oromia’s. These high elevations and consistent rainfall create optimal conditions for washed coffees with distinct clarity, floral aromatics, and bright acidity. And this coffee is a standout expression of its region: vibrant, floral, and sweetly complex. When held up to our sourcing values, this coffee shines—particularly in its integrity through a transparent supply chain that tells a deeper story. The Atnago group—founded in 2014 and composed of women who’ve been growing coffee for over 30 years—works in partnership with Fahem Trading to access capital, technical training, and sustainable market opportunities. These producers don’t just grow exceptional coffee; they’ve helped fund community flour mills and a local school, all while serving on Rainforest Alliance–certified committees focused on gender awareness and grievance resolution. With insight from sourcing partner Artisan Coffee Imports, this coffee offers not just taste, but context—highlighting the nuanced landscape of gender equity, economic reform, and resilience in Ethiopia’s evolving coffee industry. Through this open exchange of information and shared goals, we stay accountable to one another and to a more transparent future for coffee. Kenya Kapkiyai and Ethiopia Atnago are now available for a limited time online and in-cafes.

If you’ve spent time in any of our cafes—or really, any cafe—you know books are a core part of cafe culture, woven into the experience over many generations. Several of our cafes even feature donation-based libraries that you’re welcome to browse, borrow from, or contribute to during your visit. With books so naturally tied to our communities, we thought it was only fitting to ask the Joe team about their favorite places to buy books here in New York City—and, of course, what they’re reading. From Yu & Me Books on Mott Street in Chinatown to The Ripped Bodice in Park Slope, our team had plenty of recommendations to share. Lucy Yu, Owner of Yu & Me Books, Photo by Caroline Xia Yu & Me Books Martyr by Kaveh Akbar Luke Wright, Marketing Manager I have a lot of favorites when it comes to both books and bookstores, but Yu & Me Books holds a special place in my heart. My partner’s last name is Yu, and it was one of the first spots we visited together—so it’s sentimental and also a cheeky nod to the two of us. Lucy, the owner, does an incredible job at curating her collection and prioritizing immigrant stories. One of my first reads this year was Martyr by Kaveh Akbar, and I couldn’t put it down. I think I finished it in two sittings. It’s one of those books that I’ve since handed out to a bunch of friends because I need them all to read it so we can gab about it. Akbar blends poetry and prose in this heartbreaking story about family, displacement, and inherited trauma. Photo by Nicolas Heller Mercer Street Books All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven Natalie Raimondo, LaGuardia Place Barista I read All the Bright Places recently and then I said I simply MUST read it again immediately after I finished it! I am an empath so I enjoy understanding the character’s deep feelings and experiences. This book does an amazing job observing the point of views of the two main protagonists: Violet and Finch. Diving deep into themes of mental illness, suicidal ideation, grief and loss - this book outlines these topics in ways where the reader can identify with the personal experiences of the characters and apply them to their own life with a profound sense of empathy. This is a comfort book for me. My best friend recommended I read it and we have spent countless hours on the phone talking about this story and how we feel about it. Books like this provide opportunities for more open conversations with those we love and opens a gateway, like it did for my friend and I, for honest conversations and connection. Life is so short and we never know what other people are going through - but we should!. Meeting everyone with love and kindness is the best way to live every single day. Photo by Megan Kantor The Ripped Bodice Eruption by James Patterson and Michael Crichton Aindrea Cobb, District Manager The store is an independent brick and mortar woman and queer owned bookstore.  They do sell every genre, but focus a lot on romance fiction.  They have pre-wrapped surprise books as well which is always fun.  They also have author signings such as Emily Giffin, who is one of my favorite authors and a Joe Coffee drinker when she visits her sons at Columbia! James did a book signing at Barnes and Nobles Union Square and said that the book had been started by Michael and he wanted to finish it as an ode to his work.  It is a departure from Patterson's traditional murder mysteries, while still having many twists and turns, making it impossible to put down! Photo by Leigh Altshuler Sweet Pickle Books My Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion Ruby Vishnick, Growth Associate I love self reflecting and journalling and I feel like Didion's work captures self reflection and pondering on life’s small details so well. This book goes into intense detail on something we all go through and try to rush through. She has helped me process and feel all the feelings. I also love her descriptions of New York and I love all content set in NYC. Photo by Susan De Vries Books Are Magic Reverse Cowgirl by McKenzie Wark Joshua Siracusa, Brooklyn Heights Barista It's a genre/gender bending meditation on the malleability and transience of the self, exploring moments of alignment beyond categorization.

A letter from Joe’s VP of Coffee, Amaris Gutierrez-Ray Today I’d like to briefly discuss something you may have been seeing across the coffee industry: many coffee companies are raising their prices to customers. Joe recently increased prices for hot, iced, and retail coffee, as well as chocolate drinks. The context for these increases is both simple and complex, and in light of misinformation or oversimplification of the facts in the media, it is worth investigating and offering some transparency. I hope to share more in-depth details over the coming weeks, but if you have questions after reading this, please reach out. To understand what is influencing higher costs, and the correlated higher prices to consumers, we have to separate out two separate things that are happening. These two are not connected, though the second has the power to influence the first. We will take this in two parts. The first is extreme market volatility. The second is the most recent, the tariffs announced by the US government. A quick note to kick us off: coffee is traded as a commodity on the InterContinental Exchange, a for-profit, global exchange–or trading house–for financial and commodity markets. In the industry, we call it the C-Market, C for Commodity, and it directly and indirectly influences the trading price of coffee (naturally, we call this the C-price). There is an important distinction to be made here already, at the point of defining this trading structure. At Joe, we do not believe coffee is a true commodity, even if our coffee business is impacted by market prices. This is not just because we purchase and roast specialty grade coffee, though that is part of it. “Commodity” denotes a basic good that is basically interchangeable with similar goods or is uniform in quality. We know coffee to be the exact opposite of this definition. We believe in a more inclusive definition of value or quality, that accounts for the costs required for producers–and many others in these complex supply chains–to grow, process, and prosper from their coffee businesses. The fact that the C-Market doesn’t account for any of this, and was never designed to in the first place, is worth paying close attention to as we unpack the conditions of the moment we are living.   Let’s start with the market. Over the last year and a half, market prices for coffee have been steadily increasing, reaching double and triple what they were only a few months ago. We have a dynamic and sustainable approach to managing coffee supply relationships and costs, which has helped us maintain relative stability. Still, as a result of the extraordinary market increase, we are experiencing unusually significant cost increases on our green coffee. Take a look at this graph. You can see us in April there at the far right.  Because we keep seeing the word “volatile” in the news, it’s important to point out where that sense of instability comes from. Here’s a longer look in the rearview. This is a graph of the entire history of the global exchange for coffee. We don’t have time or space to get into it here, but, even though coffee has been traded on some form of a stock exchange since 1972, ICE is a relatively new “facilitator” of this trade, taking it over from the NY Board of Traders in 2007. You can see from this image that the C-price of coffee might fluctuate ~$0.50 over 5 years, but there have been very few steep peaks and troughs over the last 53 years. Also worth noting: the C-market has not and does not account for inflation. A $3.00 price in 1975 would be about $18.00 today. It's clear that 2025 prices are much lower than they should be, even with this recent increase.  What is driving this moment of extreme market volatility and C-price crisis? Supply and demand: There has been a staggering decrease in the global supply of coffee due to climate change. Coffeelands all over the world are experiencing drought, fires, out of season rainfall, and other climate events resulting in lower production and yields. This isn’t a sudden change, the impact has been felt for several harvest cycles across continents, but the challenges last year (the hottest year on record) particularly affected the highest producing countries, as well as all species (not just Arabica). The catastrophic fires in LA were also a result of unheard of pattern changes to La Niña/El Niño, affecting both North and South America. Global demand for coffee continues to increase. This includes growing specialty coffee consumption in producing countries. Market uncertainty: Driven by fears of the ever-worsening climate, political influences on global interest rates and inflation (including the US presidential election), threat of tariffs over the last couple of months, logistical delays caused by the EU Deforestation Regulation that have been simmering for the last 2 years, and much more, market uncertainty has reached new highs. Inflation in coffee producing economies: Producers are facing exponential increases in the cost to produce. Higher prices for fertilizer, fuel, labor, and interest rates, as well as disruptions to receiving payment on time, add pressures and constraints, especially at a time when the market could look from the outside like it is working in favor of producers. In fact, farmers may be experiencing the inability to meet their basic costs of production. Who is impacted, and who is making money right now? At the moment, everyone is impacted, though producers continue to bear the hardest–and the first–burden. Producers are most in need of stable resources to ensure they are equipped to handle the financial impact. It’s unclear whether any supply stream actors are making a higher profit since supply is low. We have long known there are inequitable practices in the trade of coffee, including the market price mechanisms that don’t accurately reflect the value or cost of coffee, so we hope this is a moment we can rise to, and challenge the industry to react in sustainable and ethical ways. We mentioned quality at the top, since we are a company that purchases specialty grade coffee. Specialty coffee is a small percentage of the whole industry, indicating a quality range of coffees that score 80 points (on the SCA scale) and higher. What is the impact of this crisis and climate change on quality? At Joe, we purchase coffee through a values-based strategy. Though many of our contracts are forward, or rooted in the market, we find ways to account for the cost of production. We also spend a considerable amount of time listening to what producers are saying and working with trusted suppliers in order to sustain their businesses. We do not anticipate a decline in quality as a result. We believe that as long as producers have what they need to thrive, and feel the resilience in their supply stream through committed business relationships, they will utilize their expertise to produce high quality coffee. We acknowledge this means our costs will increase as we prioritize the stability of the supply streams where we work. We believe this is the only way to participate in a global market, by decoupling market price from quality, and instead replacing the cost equation with producer prosperity and quality. This is a tricky moment for the second thing which is driving more speculation and uncertainty, the announcement of tariffs.  Last week the Trump administration announced a set of tariffs. The countries listed include a high quantity of coffee producing countries, with the lowest impact of 10% for many countries, and the highest impact of 46% in Vietnam, the world’s second largest coffee producer. India, as the 7th largest coffee producer in the world, is facing a 26% tariff.  Optional: Both Vietnam and India are responsible for producing majority non-specialty coffee, and Robusta coffee specifically. Robusta is traded on a different market, since the C-market is focused on Arabica. The global players who rely on non-specialty and Robusta coffee are very price sensitive, and in fact are largely why the C-market functions the way that it does. It facilitates a race to the bottom definition of capitalism and competition. This has brought a new perspective to the price crisis problem, creating a higher price point for all coffee everywhere, and we can anticipate that companies that might have previously relied on coffee from Vietnam and India will now look elsewhere to fill their volumes. In response to the Arabica C-market, the Robust exchange has skyrocketed in price, as well, due to a surge in demand as companies diversify their offerings as a stabilizing or price management strategy. (This Exchange defines the price per kilogram, so divide by 2.2 to get the correlating C-market price per pound).  As the largest coffee consuming country in the world by volume, the US is unable to produce enough coffee domestically for our needs. (The US does grow coffee, yes, in Hawaii and Puerto Rico, but these regions together make up less than 1% of the global output, barely a drop in the bucket). There’s no way for tariffs not to affect US roasters and consumers. The tariffs won’t have an impact immediately, as it will only affect coffee that has yet to be contracted. Containers that have already left their port of origin won’t be tariffed upon entry, so the impact will start to be felt within the next few months as new containers and contracts start coming in after that. The tariff will be passed onto the roaster, as importers have already begun telling their roaster customers that they can’t afford the increase.  The administration has incorrectly noted that the tariffs affect the country of export. In fact, the cost is levied at the ports where the coffee will be unloaded and inspected, and it is paid to the US government as an incentive to keep manufacturing or business within our domestic borders.  As the tariffs are a unilateral move, this will likely result in another round of increases by coffee companies before the year is out in order to balance the artificial rise in the cost of goods.  Coffee companies will also face tariffs on many other items we need to run our businesses, from paper cups to the raw packaging materials which are still manufactured at scale in other countries that are also facing high tariffs. There isn’t a clear logic for how much costs will go up because it will be dependent on individual businesses’ purchasing strategies. We can expect a minimum of 10% across the board, though it’s likely to be higher as the tariffs begin to impact the C-market, as it is in a state of high reactivity. We have already seen this begin to play out. Whether or not the US can take over those industries in enough time to benefit the average consumer is yet to be seen. The irony is that the money is not getting back to the producers’ pockets, but adding more constraints to all the businesses in the already unstable supply chains.

At Joe Coffee, we’ve always believed that great coffee should do more than just taste good—it should stand for something. Earth Month gives us a chance to pause and reflect, but this kind of care isn’t new for us. It’s something we work toward every day. From how we source and roast to the way we serve and ship, each step is shaped by one belief: coffee can and should be a force for good—for people, for communities, and for the planet. That Little Frog Carries a Lot of Weight https://youtu.be/F07xYZ4qIQw?si=xxofhd7SSINbEpD2 Roughly 80% of the coffee we roast comes from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms. That small green frog you’ll spot on our bags? It’s a symbol of something much bigger. It means the coffee was grown using responsible practices—ones that respect the land, support fair pay, and look out for long-term well-being across the supply chain. These standards aren’t just guidelines; they’re verified through independent audits and rooted in sustainability from every angle. But to us, certification isn’t about jumping from farm to farm to check a box. It’s about growing with these partners, investing in relationships, and supporting producers as they work toward these shared goals. You’ll find that little frog on blends like Waverly, Daily, Benchmark, Nightcap Decaf, and a handful of seasonal favorites. It represents more than good coffee—it reflects the values we’re proud to stand behind. Learn more about The Rainforest Alliance Shipping Smarter with POLLAST!C A few years back, we made a shift that’s stuck: every online order now ships in a POLLAST!C mailer. These bags are made entirely from plastic waste collected in coastal communities across Southeast Asia—areas where this kind of waste might otherwise end up in the ocean. It’s a win on multiple fronts: the bags help clean up plastic, support local economies, and come with a lower carbon footprint than typical or even compostable mailers. They’re also recyclable and trackable, which means you can trace their story from collection to delivery. Learn more about POLLAST!C Small Shifts That Add Up Inside our cafes, we keep things simple—but intentional. Grab a ceramic mug instead of a paper cup, or take your used coffee grounds home for your compost bin or garden. Small changes, sure. But over time, they add up. We’re not chasing perfection here. We’re aiming for progress—one cup, one action, one conversation at a time. Check out our Joe ceramics

We like to think of coffee as more than just a drink—it’s a connection. A connection to the people who grow it, the communities that nurture it, and the environment that makes it all possible. That’s why we’re committed to doing business in a way that respects everyone in the coffee supply chain, from farm to cup. It’s a responsibility we take seriously, and it’s what led us to develop a Code of Conduct that keeps us accountable to our values, like equity, transparency, and sustainability. But coffee isn’t the only way we can make a difference. That’s why we’re thrilled to partner with Omanhene, a brand that’s rewriting the rules for how cocoa is sourced. Omanhene makes sure the value of cocoa stays where it belongs—within the communities that grow it. By sourcing ethically produced cocoa and implementing traceable systems, they connect customers directly with farmers. Their focus is on supporting farmers, prioritizing fairness, and driving positive change from the ground up. Sound familiar? This is exactly the kind of relationship we want to invest in. To dive deeper, we sat down with Steven Wallace, Omanhene’s founder, to chat about how the cocoa industry has changed, the challenges of building equity in agriculture, and some exciting innovations that are coming in 2025 to connect farmers and consumers in a whole new way. What do you think has changed in the social equity landscape in cocoa supply streams since the day you started? I started Omanhene in 1991, nearly 34 years ago. Since then, the concept of social equity – and the articulation of a competitive value proposition framed around social equity – has evolved. It’s become more nuanced, intentional and thoughtful. Indeed, in 1991, the concept was novel, and the nomenclature far less particular. Customers often conflated notions of single origin, manufactured at origin, fair trade, direct trade and value chain re-imagination. While it is satisfying to be one of the first movers in what might be called the commercial social equity space, we had to invest quite a bit (more than we could really afford, in retrospect) in educating potential customers about value chains in general and the cocoa value chain in particular. Note that the coffee value chain differs significantly from the cocoa value chain especially when it comes to trying to improve the economic climate for farmers. You can’t credibly add value by roasting a coffee bean in Tanzania and then trying to serve it in Brooklyn; the market demands that you roast your coffee beans very close in time and geography to your customer who wants a freshly brewed mocha. By contrast, with cocoa, you can ferment, sun dry, roast and extract cocoa liquor, butter and cake at origin without sacrificing freshness. What’s more, roasting the cocoa beans at origin means you capture additional value at origin and improve the flavor, aroma and overall freshness of the cocoa powder we use to make Omanhene Hot Cocoa Mix. So, the coffee and cocoa value chains present different challenges for those of us concerned with social equity. But thoughtful participants in both the coffee and cocoa sectors are trying to do the same thing: capture increased value for farmers occupying the lowest rungs of agricultural value chains. It’s just that the solutions for “capturing value at origin” are not one-size-fits-all propositions. If you could tell a barista face to face "One thing you need to know to convey value to customers" what would you say? I’d ask the question, “Where does good chocolate come from?” Most people answer “Switzerland” or “Belgium”. I then ask, “How many cocoa trees do you think grow in Zurich?” The answer, of course, is zero. This is the problem. How did the cocoa value chain get so skewed in favor of Europe at the expense of origin players? The global chocolate market is valued at upwards of $130 billion – and only 6 percent goes to farmers in origin countries. The remaining 94% or over $122 billion remains in the hands of processors and retailers most of whom are located far from the farms that grow the cocoa. Omanhene set out 34 years ago to work some value chain jiu-jitsu in an effort to recapture value at origin. What are you most looking forward to in 2025? This coming year we’ll test our EcoWise “Direct Connect” platform with Joe Coffee as our inaugural customer. We’ve invested in first mile traceability and a digital payment platform such that we can guarantee transparency from a customer’s mocha or hot cocoa to the farmer who grew the beans that produced the cocoa in that customer’s cup. What’s more, the farmer can thank you for buying your beverage at Joe Coffee and you can thank the farmer for growing the cocoa that warms your belly. You can even send a tip with a tap of your phone or by rounding up when you pay for your beverage. And our platform allows you to see how much tip money is actually received in the farmer’s digital wallet so there is full transparency and accountability. A 3-cent tip would double the income of an average West African cocoa farmer and transform their family and the local economy. But more importantly, I’m excited by the fact that we’ll bring people together from across the world. Farmers and consumers will communicate directly and in so doing, we can make the world a smaller, safer, and more just place. Join us on February 13th from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM for Seed to Cup: Chocolate Supply Stream, a class led by Steve. Open to the public, this session explores the humanitarian issues within the cocoa industry and highlights how ethical sourcing ties into running Joe. Tickets are now available on our website —reserve yours today! Looking for other ways to contribute? For the month of February, we’ll be running a round-up campaign in all of our cafes, where customers can round up their totals to make a donation directly supporting cocoa farms in Ghana. This initiative helps our community contribute to sustainable farming practices and support farmers in the region.

Well friends, 2025 is officially here. The festive decorations are coming down, the office buzz is back, and kids are settling into their routines. Maybe you’re embracing a resolution or two. If your holiday season was anything like ours, you’re probably ready to reset—and Dry January might just be calling your name. But around here, dry never means dull. We’ve rounded up some of our team’s favorite drink recipes featuring our cult classic Cold Brew and Ready to use Espresso—perfect for spritzes, tonics, and sodas, no alcohol required. Sip them at 9am, 9pm, or anytime in between! Coconut Espresso Soda Ingredients: 125g Coco Rico Coconut Soda 2g lime juice 1 oz Ready to use Espresso 15g sweetened condensed coconut milk 1 oz simple syrup Recipe: Pour Coco Rico Coconut Soda over a glass of ice, then add simple syrup, lime juice, and sweetened condensed coconut milk. Mix until well blended, and top with Ready to use Espresso. Hibiscus Espresso Soda Ingredients: 2 oz hibiscus tea 1 tbsp honey 1 oz Ready to use Espresso 4 oz sparkling water Recipe: Pour sparkling water over a glass of ice, then add hibiscus tea. In a separate container, mix freshly Ready to use Espresso and honey until the honey dissolves, then pour the espresso mixture over the top. Lemon Espresso Soda Ingredients: 6 oz Lemon Spindrift 1 oz vanilla syrup 1.5 oz Ready to use Espresso Recipe: Pour a Lemon Spindrift over a glass of ice, add vanilla syrup, and top with Ready to use Espresso. Sparkling Cherry Orangeade Ingredients: 1 oz grenadine 1 orange 1 oz Ready to use Espresso 1 oz simple syrup 4 oz sparkling water Recipe: Fill a cup with ice, then add sparkling water, simple syrup, grenadine, and Ready to use Espresso. Squeeze the juice of half an orange into the drink and garnish with an orange slice. Ready to use Espresso is now available for purchase online and in select cafes. Coldstretto® and the Coldstretto™ logo are trademarks of BKON LLC.

The roastery & production team have been hard at work, curating a gift guide packed with seasonal coffees, must-have brew gear, and all the little extras to make this season shine. Whether you’re shopping for the coffee lover who’s always brewing up something new or the one who simply loves a cozy cup, we’ve got the perfect pick to spread the holiday cheer—Joe Coffee style. For the DIY Coffee Chemist This is for the friend (or family member) who’s always trying out the latest recipe going around on TikTok or Instagram—remember the viral whipped coffee craze? They’re constantly crafting tasty concoctions at home or recreating that one unforgettable drink from years ago. Our Ready to use Espresso and Specialty Instant Coffee are absolute game-changers, opening up endless possibilities for DIY lattes, baking, cocktails, mocktails, and beyond. Stocking Stuffers As stockings make their way from storage to the mantle, here are our picks for the best little joys to fill them with this holiday season. For the loved one who’s always stopping at the cafe on their way to work, treat them to a week’s worth of coffee with a cafe gift card. Shopping for someone constantly on the go? A box of Specialty Instant Coffee is the perfect way to guarantee a great cup of Joe, no matter where they are. And don’t forget—our seasonal Rockefeller coffee is now available in a 6 oz bag—making it the ideal companion for a cozy home brew. For the Specialty Coffee Connoisseur Light roast lovers are always on the hunt for fresh flavors to brighten their palates—fruity, floral, and light-bodied. We’ve built strong partnerships with the producers we work with to bring you some of the finest offerings available. The Village celebrates the role of women in coffee and features seasonally rotating beans, currently from Burundi. La Familia Guarnizo, a bright and light-bodied selection, was grown by a special group of El Paraiso’s member farmers: the Guarnizo family. Plus, our Roaster’s Choice Set showcases what we are currently brewing and most excited about. For the Can’t-Pick-Just-One Crew Shopping for that indecisive friend who can never make up their mind? This one’s for them. Whether they’re in the mood for a rich, chocolatey black cold brew or a slightly sweetened Honey Oat Latte, a combo pack will keep them satisfied and caffeinated. Can’t decide if they want hot or iced? The 12 oz Miir Travel Tumbler has them covered, keeping drinks perfectly hot or cold during their office commute. And when they’re unsure which coffee to choose, our Signature Coffee Set—packed with our most popular roasts—keeps things fresh, fun, and never boring. For the at Home Barista It’s no secret that baristas truly make the world go round. If you’ve got a barista at home or a friend perfecting their pour-over skills, surprise them with the sleek Hario V60 #2 Ceramic Dripper to elevate their morning brew. Or take their coffee journey to the next level with an Espresso Workshop Class at our Pro Shop lab here in the City. Not sure what they love most? The Daily Gift Set is a thoughtful, well-rounded option, featuring a classic Joe mug and our best-selling house coffee brewed daily in our cafes.

As the crisp October mornings roll in, we’re excited to announce the arrival of our new fall menu. Discover exceptional teas from our new partner, Kettl, a Japanese tea company based here in New York City. Plus, don’t miss our latest seasonal sip: the Butternut Star Anise Latte. And good news—by popular demand, the Yuzu Elderflower Spritz is here to stay on the menu! So, throw on your trench coat, grab a friend, and swing by the cafes—cool mornings are best enjoyed with even cozier drinks in hand. Butternut Star Anise Latte Each season, our baristas are tasked with crafting a drink that captures the spirit of the times. Through teamwork and collaboration, these creations are then perfected to ensure they deliver the best taste and balance when they reach you in the cafes. The Butternut Star Anise Latte, crafted by Rachel, a barista at our Brooklyn Heights cafe, is a warm, spiced delight. This comforting treat blends butternut squash, star anise, pumpkin syrup, and brown sugar, and can be made with either turmeric or espresso as the base—perfect for the cool fall days ahead! Kettl Teas Driven by the desire to make the finest and freshest teas of Japan available to a wider audience, Zach and Minami Mangan founded Kettl. With offices in Fukuoka and Brooklyn, the duo has achieved the most diverse catalog of Japanese tea available in the United States with an unwavering commitment to quality from producers who have become dear friends. All of their teas are sourced directly from growers and producers whom they know and visit several times a year. Today, we’re welcoming Kettl into our cafes here in New York City, with a new selection of teas and their signature matcha—truly elevating the tea experience here at Joe Coffee. Our fall menu is here to make the transition into a new season all the easier. Whether you’re savoring the Butternut Star Anise Latte or exploring Kettl’s refined teas, we can’t wait to share these moments with you. See you at the cafe!

Ready to use Espresso is making its debut at Joe Coffee! Thanks to our partners at BKON and their innovation of Coldstretto® extractions, our Ready to use Espresso captures the essence of our signature Waverly Espresso in a convenient, shelf-stable bottle. This breakthrough allows you to enjoy the rich, balanced flavor of our espresso with ease and convenience, no matter where you are.   The perfect addition to any home bar or coffee setup, Ready to use Espresso opens up a world of possibilities. Whether you’re crafting a morning latte, an afternoon espresso tonic, or even experimenting with some coffee-infused baked goods, this versatile product brings the same quality and taste you love from our cafes directly to your home. Experience the convenience, quality, and flavor of Joe Coffee anytime, anywhere. So Many Ways to Enjoy To introduce Ready to use Espresso, we teamed up with members from every corner of the Joe Coffee family, including baristas from your favorite cafes. Together, we crafted these refreshing recipes to keep the good vibes flowing and deliver delicious coffee experiences to you—no espresso machine necessary. Orange Blossom Honey Latte Ingredients 2 oz Ready to use Espresso 20g orange blossom honey simple syrup 0.5g orange blossom water 105g oat milk Fill a cup with ice. Pour in the oat milk. In a separate container, mix the Ready to use Espresso, orange blossom honey simple syrup, and orange blossom water. Top the milk with the espresso mixture.Stir well to combine Lychee Soda Ingredients 1 oz lychee nectar 4 oz sparkling water 0.5 oz simple syrup 1 oz Ready to use Espresso In a glass filled with ice, combine the lychee nectar and simple syrup. Add the Ready to use Espresso and gently stir to mix. Top with sparkling water and stir gently. Coffee Old Fashioned Ingredients 1.5 oz whiskey 0.5 oz Ready to use Espresso 0.25 oz simple syrup 3 dashes Angostura Bitters  orange peel for garnish In a mixing glass, combine the whiskey, Ready to use Espresso, simple syrup, and Angostura bitters. Add ice and stir until well-chilled. Strain into an old-fashioned glass over a large ice cube. Garnish with an orange peel twist. Espresso Martini Ingredients 3 oz vodka 1.5 oz Ready to use Espresso 1 oz simple syrup coffee beans for garnish Add the vodka, Ready to use Espresso, and simple syrup to a shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously until well-chilled. Strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a few coffee beans. Latte Ingredients 1.5 oz Ready to use Espresso 5 oz milk of choice Fill a cup with ice. Pour in the milk of choice. Top the milk with the espresso. Stir well to combine. Brown Sugar Shakerato Ingredients 8 oz ice 1 oz Ready to use Espresso 1 oz brown sugar simple syrup 0.5 oz oat milk  6 drops of saline solution Add the ice, Ready to use Espresso, brown sugar simple syrup, oat milk, and saline solution to a shaker. Shake vigorously for 15 seconds. Strain the mixture over fresh ice into a glass. Fig Balsamic Latte Ingredients 2 oz hot water 1 oz fig spread 0.75 oz sugar 0.3 oz balsamic glaze pinch of cinnamon 1.5 oz Ready to use Espresso milk of choice To Make the Syrup: In a heat-safe pitcher or measuring cup, combine the hot water and fig spread. Whisk until the fig spread is fully integrated. Add the sugar, balsamic glaze, and a pinch of cinnamon. Stir thoroughly. Strain the mixture through a sieve into another vessel. use a spoon to scrape along the mixture, helping it strain more evenly and quickly. To Make the Latte: Pour about 2 oz of the fig balsamic syrup into a 12 oz cup. Add 1.5 oz of Ready to use Espresso and stir to combine. Top with hot or cold milk of your choice (add ice if making a cold latte). Finish with a light dusting of cinnamon Pineapple Espresso Ingredients 1 oz pineapple juice 1 oz orange juice 1 oz cream of coconut 1 oz Ready to use Espresso pinch of cinnamon In a shaker, combine the pineapple juice, orange juice, cream of coconut, and Ready to use Espresso. Shake vigorously until well-mixed. Strain into a glass over ice. Sprinkle a pinch of cinnamon on top for a finishing touch. This is the future of cold espresso, brewed to bring the signature flavor of our Waverly espresso right to you, wherever you are.

Here at Joe, sustainability is always at the forefront of our minds—from our commitment to sourcing Rainforest Alliance Certified coffee and working with partners who prioritize lowering their carbon footprints to composting our coffee grounds in our cafes. So naturally, when we discovered Better Packaging Co's POLLAST!CTM mailers, we were eager to seize the opportunity to make a bigger impact with our packaging choices. We're excited to announce that our mail orders will now be packaged in POLLAST!CTM mailers, made 100% from ocean-bound plastic collected from coastal communities in Southeast Asia. In these under-resourced regions where very little waste management infrastructure exists, plastic pollution accumulates on beaches and waterways, becoming the source of much of the world's ocean plastic pollution. Better Packaging Co works with these communities to collect plastic from the shorelines, paying a fair wage, which in turn helps lift them out of poverty. In making this shift, we grappled with the question of the sustainability of a recycled plastic product over a paper or compostable product, and you might be wondering the same thing! Ultimately, we believe we can make a more significant impact with this choice. Here's why: POLLAST!CTM mailers use 75% less CO₂ than a virgin plastic product and 88% less than a virgin compostable bag. They also have a lower carbon footprint than any paper package or recycled product on the market. What's more, we are actively supporting shoreline cleanups that prevent plastic from entering the ocean and simultaneously helping communities fight poverty. An estimated 5-13 million tons of plastic enters the ocean every year and that figure is expected to triple by 2040. Over 70% of that plastic enters oceans via land and over 80% of that comes from Asia. That's why Better Packaging Co focuses their collection efforts in Southeast Asian coastal communities. In the course of a year, we'll be able to divert the equivalent of 54,200 single-use plastic bags from the ocean! Whether you recycle your package with soft plastics, or dispose of it responsibly at home, the plastic ends up in a better place. As a company dedicated to transparent supply streams, we also appreciate Better Packaging Co's commitment to traceable sourcing—every mailer comes with a tracing code which you can use to find out where the plastic used to make your mailer was collected! Plug in the code at the bottom of this page to trace your mailer's origin. Even better, as a B Corp Certified business and Certified Carbon Free business, Better Packaging Co works to offset 100% of their carbon emissions. We're excited about this new partnership, and look forward to hearing what you think! Better Packaging Co's production partner collecting plastic pollution in Malaysia

It's been 18.5 years since our founders, brother-and-sister-duo Jonathan Rubinstein and Gabby Rubinstein, first opened the doors on our inaugural Joe Coffee at Waverly Place. Jonathan and Gabby in the "early days" of Joe Coffee. Nearly two decades, two dozen or so cafes, and a whole lot of milestones later, the pair sat down with our Director of Coffee & Roasting, Amaris Gutierrez-Ray, to reflect back on just how far we've come, and to take a look at the year (and next two decades!) ahead.⁠ Interview with the Founders: Jonathan Rubinstein and Gabby Rubinstein from Joe Coffee Company on Vimeo.

Thursday, June 18th, 2020To everyone at Joe,Two weeks ago, I wrote you a letter voicing Joe’s support for the Black Lives Matter protests, with the promise to examine our company’s role in dismantling racism and confronting white privilege. Since then, we’ve begun to engage in deep reflection and discussion, and have carefully considered the thoughtful feedback so many of you have shared in response.When I founded Joe, my vision was to create a welcoming space that celebrates great coffee and everyone who loves it. As I reflect on our history, I think of all the folks who have found safe haven in Joe, finding a sense of belonging that they were not able to find elsewhere. However, I realize that despite our best intentions, we took a passive approach to challenging racial inequity, thinking Joe was immune to bias. The reality is that racism is not always overt—it can manifest itself in subtle and equally harmful ways, and we acknowledge our own complicity in perpetuating institutional racism.It’s time for us to dig deep, confront our historical policies and behaviors, and work to actively design our company systems and processes to champion racial equity. To that end, I want to share the early beginnings of how we’re approaching this work.Listening & Education:Before we can take meaningful steps towards long lasting change, we need to first look inward, listen, and learn. This means reckoning with past harms, understanding the lived experiences of folks in our community, and confronting how bias affects us as individuals and in our business operations. We respect that the onus is on us to educate ourselves, but want you to know that we are listening, and we are committed to holding space for challenging conversations. This is work that we must do, as an employer, to genuinely be in service of our staff.Here’s where we are starting: In an effort to respect the boundaries of our staff while also providing a platform to participate, we have created an anonymous submission form. This form can be used to share experiences that have made folks feel discriminated, marginalized or othered in the workplace, ideas for policy change or new practices to implement, or general feedback. We understand it is unfair to rely on our most affected staff to tell us how to change and that any insight into those experiences is a gift, but we also feel it is necessary to give an outlet for those who want to share. Create a repository of anti-racist educational resources and facilitate dialogue Require training on unconscious bias for all employees Address coffee’s roots in colonialism and slavery through our education program Policy:We can’t create a welcoming place for our BIPOC employees to grow professionally without taking a critical look at our internal policies. Although policy reform will surely be a continuing conversation, we will immediately work on: Fully auditing our employee handbook and company policies with an anti-bias lens Reviewing our in-store safety, conflict resolution, and escalation procedures Recruiting & Hiring EffortsWe have always cherished diversity on many levels at Joe, and yet we have much more work to do, especially when it comes to diversity in middle and upper management. Black and Brown folks are significantly underrepresented in our industry and the specialty coffee community has not done enough to change this. We believe in making coffee more approachable to everyone, and we will play an active role in building better representation by: Connecting with more diverse candidate pools and partnering with community organizations dedicated to the professional development of BIPOC Examining our hiring practices and investigating blind hiring methods where ethnic/gender/age/class signifiers are omitted from resumes Training interviewers to erase potential bias MarketingWe spend a lot of time thinking about inequities throughout the coffee supply chain and finding ways to communicate these complexities to our staff and customers, often focusing on stories about our current producer partners in our marketing. However, coffee has a history of colonialism and inextricable links to the slave trade—these less “palatable” parts of history often don’t make it into the narrative. We understand that it is our duty to tell the full story, and we intend to engage with these truths better in our storytelling.Moving Forward & Staying AccountableIn January, we established a cross-departmental culture working group called the Joe Cultural Advocacy Team (J-CAT). The purpose of this group was to pave the way for conversations about how Joe, as we grow, can be a better employer for all Joeys. Because COVID-19 forced us to reduce our business to a skeleton crew, many of the members of this team were temporarily laid off. In an effort to immediately begin building a roadmap for change in the interim, we formed an anti-racism task force in the week following our initial statement. This committee will be responsible for overseeing this work until we are able to partner with J-CAT again to carry the work forward. Until then, we intend to meet regularly to advance discussions, establish goals, and build timelines. Clearly, there is a lot of work ahead. Our next steps may include missteps, but we won’t let up. I am hopeful that with the help of the entire Joe family, we will become a truly anti-racist organization, an embodiment of the original vision for Joe Coffee.Jonathan

Friday, June 5th Dear Joe,I want to take a moment to acknowledge the pain all of us are feeling over the injustices of the last week.George Floyd's senseless death added another name to a long list of victims of systemic racism and police brutality, awakening a long pent-up fury in communities across the country.I want you to know that I share in this outrage and that Joe stands in unequivocal solidarity with those marching in the streets for Black lives. https://frpiluleenligne.comTo witness these mounting injustices, including the treatment of innocent protesters this past week, has been deeply troubling.For this to happen while we as a country are dealing with the trauma of the covid-19 pandemic, adds to the pain.However, I recognize that the pain we feel in this moment is insignificant in comparison to the suffering inflicted against Black people in this country for generations.Our own role as a company in condemning and dismantling racism is not lost on me, and I realize we have likely not done enough.I am committed to ensuring we do better.This will involve a lot of listening, learning (and unlearning), and difficult, introspective conversations.It will involve taking stock of our own values, of which "community" is one, putting them into practice and holding ourselves accountable to them.While it's evident that radical change is needed, as a business that is simultaneously reckoning with the dire financial realities of surviving this pandemic, we at Joe Coffee have to ask ourselves: what meaningful actions can we take in this moment, and what work can we do to ensure that we emerge on the other end of this pandemic a business that is actively contributing to long lasting change?Make no mistake: public statements and donations matter today, but the work of becoming anti-racist is ongoing.The road ahead is long, and progress will not come without mistakes along the way, but the key is to keep forging ahead with an open heart.Right now, we are actively listening and taking time to educate ourselves.We commit to examining our employee handbook, our policies, and our own unconscious biases, actively engaging with you, our team members to create avenues for dialogue, and collaborating with our community at large.Joe Coffee will always be a place where everyone is welcome, and everyone belongs. This means you all have a voice here. I invite you to share your feedback about diversity: whether they are issues you think need to be examined, or ideas about how we can do better. Jonathan

May 18th, 2020To the Joe Coffee Community,It’s been two months since we closed our doors, and we have missed you so! Over these last few weeks, we have been carefully considering how to reopen and serve you safely. Now, after several weeks of planning, we are excited to reopen select locations for contactless pickup beginning Wednesday, May 20th, starting with our Bryant Park Kiosk and Pro Shop.As locations begin to reopen, we will update this list:Wednesday, 5/20: Bryant Park: 9am–5pm, every dayPro Shop: 9am–3pm, Monday–FridayWednesday, 5/27: Long Island City Roastery Cafe: 8am–4pm, every dayThursday, 5/28: Union Square West: 8am–4pm, every dayWednesday, 6/3: Waverly Place; 8am–4pm, every dayLexington; 8am–4pm, every dayWednesday, June 10 Brooklyn Heights; 8am–4pm, every dayW 85th & Columbus; 8am–4pm, every dayWednesday, June 15 W 73rd & Amsterdam Avenue; 8am–4pm, Monday–FridayW 68th & Columbus; 8am–4pm, every dayThe Counter at Todd Synder; 8am–4pm, Monday–Friday, 8am–3pm, Saturday & SundayWednesday, June 24 Chelsea; 8am–4pm, Monday–FridayWe will be taking orders in advance via Ritual for contactless payment and pickup. To order, click here, or find the “Order Pickup” button on our website’s main navigation menu as of May 20th.Our full coffee menu will be available along with a limited pastry menu from our friends at Ovenly and Bien Cuit. We’ll also be offering coffee beans for pickup—including new releases Burundi Kibingo and Rwanda Ejo Heza—to keep you stocked up at home. As always, we’d be happy to grind it for you—be sure to select your preferred grind setting when you place your order.All orders will be available for you to pick up from a table positioned near our front door so you can safely gather your order. Don’t forget to wear a mask when you stop by!⁠Protecting the health of the Joe community is our first priority and we are committed to putting safety first every step of the way. In addition to enhanced cleaning procedures, we will be implementing several precautions to protect our staff, including social distancing within our cafes, temperature checks, providing PPE, and working closely with vendors to ensure safe deliveries.As excited as we are to be brewing again, we think it’s important to take things slowly and carefully. We’ll keep you updated as things evolve, and we thank you for your cooperation in adjusting to this new normal with us. We’re grateful to all of you for your continued support and good wishes these last few weeks. You mean the world to us and we are so looking forward to welcoming you back!

From Jonathan Rubinstein, Founder & CEO Released Tuesday, March 17  Dear Joe Coffee Community,In light of the most recent updates regarding the outbreak of COVID-19, we have made the very difficult decision to temporarily close all of our cafés until further notice. While we feel confident that this is the right thing to do for the safety of our staff and community, it doesn’t make the decision any easier.As of Wednesday, March 18th at 6PM, the following additional cafés will close: 13th Street, Bryant Park, Chelsea, Columbia Northwest Corner Building, Grand Central, Lexington Avenue, Pro Shop, Todd Snyder, and World Trade Center. As of now, we plan to close the remainder of our cafés—Amsterdam Avenue, Brooklyn Heights, LIC Roastery Café, Union Square West, Waverly Place, W 68th & Columbus, and W 85th & Columbus—on Sunday, March 22nd at 6PM.Of course, the implications of closing weigh heavy on our hearts—most importantly, how this impacts our loyal café employees. We are looking at every possible way to support them during this incredibly difficult time, including the creation of an Employee Support Fund. We know your baristas are an important part of your daily lives too, so stay tuned for information on how you can help.In the meantime, we know you will still need coffee, so we will continue to operate our roastery, shipping coffee, subscriptions, and brew gear nationwide from our Long Island City warehouse.This is uncharted territory for all of us, yet we remain hopeful that if we walk through this together, we will come out stronger on the other side. We are already counting the days until we can resume service and welcome back the smiling faces of our community again. Until then, we would like to share our gratitude for your continued support and wish you and yours a safe and peaceful passage through the weeks to come.Jonathan RubinsteinFounder & CEO

From Jonathan Rubinstein, Founder & CEO Released Friday, March 13 (updated as of Saturday, March 14) Dear Friends,At Joe Coffee, the health and safety of our customers and our team members is of utmost importance to us. To this end, I want to share the precautions we are taking to ensure we are doing everything we can to protect the well-being of our community.Since the onset of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, our dedicated task force has been meeting daily to monitor the rapidly developing situation and respond in accordance with guidance issued by the CDC and local authorities. These are the precautions we've put in place: We are committed to offering our customers and team members a clean, safe, and hygienic space 365 days a year. However, in light of this situation, we’re taking heightened precautions including implementing increased sanitizing and more rigorous hand-washing procedures. We have temporarily suspended to-stay ware as well as the practice of accepting personal cups. However, we will still honor the discount to anyone who brings in a reusable cup. We have removed condiments, milks, lids, straws, napkins, etc. from our condiment bars in an effort to minimize potential contamination. Our baristas will be happy to complete your order with the milk or sweetener of your choice, and provide these additional items at your request. We have suspended all cuppings for the public and staff until further notice. Any cuppings that are essential for Quality Control and business purposes will follow the SCA Modified Cupping Protocols. While our public classes will continue as scheduled for the foreseeable future, if any registrant wishes to postpone attending a class, we will be more than happy to reschedule their ticket to a future date. Please email classes@joecoffeecompany.com to reschedule. While we are currently operating our cafes as usual, we have modified our hours in certain locations, including our three Columbia University campus locations in response to school closures. For up-to-date hours, please visit our locations page. (Updated: March 14) In an effort to support social distancing and reduce risk for our customers and staff, we have temporarily removed seating where possible, offering to-go only service. In the spirit of transparency, we are committed to keeping you informed about any further changes and will share updates in this space.On behalf of the Joe Coffee team, I want to thank you for your patience, understanding, and trust as we navigate this uncertain—and certainly unprecedented—time together. We will strive to continue offering the welcoming spaces and warm hospitality you have come to expect from us—a safe haven for those who seek it. In this difficult time, we offer our entire community our sincerest wishes of good health.Jonathan RubinsteinFounder & CEO

Bestselling author A.J. Jacobs is no stranger to ambitious projects. In his 2008 book The Year of Living Biblically, Jacobs sought to live as closely to the rules of the bible as he could. This month he releases his sixth title, Thanks a Thousand, which chronicles his gratitude journey for a single cup of coffee—which we're happy to say, he purchased at Joe Coffee. We sat down with A.J. to learn how his project shaped how he thinks about both coffee and gratitude. A.J. at Joe Waverly Place. Photo by Christopher Lane Joe: What surprised you most about your coffee's journey to you, or what seemed the most incredible thing about it? A.J.: Before I answer, let me just say a huge, overflowing thanks to the folks at Joe. They were so helpful and open, I couldn’t have asked for a better partner on this journey. The most surprising part was just how many people it takes for me to produce my morning cup of coffee at Joe. I knew about the farmer and the barista, of course. But there are hundreds of people in between. The tasters, the the roasters, the inspectors, the importing company, the trucker—and the trucker couldn’t do his job without the road, so I felt I should thank the folks who pave the road. And the folks who paint yellow lines on the road so the trucker doesn’t veer into oncoming traffic. As I say in the book: It doesn’t take a village to make a cup of coffee. It takes the world. A.J. with some of the Guarnizo brothers. Were you aware of any difference between specialty coffee’s supply chain and that of, say, everyday diner coffee? Not nearly enough. I was delighted by the amount of thought and passion that goes into every step of Joe Coffee. For instance, visiting the roastery in Brooklyn was an eye-opener. I love that there are gadgets to measure the moisture level of the beans, and another to measure the bean’s stability. And of course, I loved visiting the small Colombian family farm where some of my beans are grown. I like that it wasn’t a big mega-corporate farm. It was eight brothers and one sister. Do you think you would have had this same experience if you’d written about shoelaces instead of coffee? I could have done a gratitude journey about shoelaces, but it wouldn’t have been nearly as delicious. My kids wanted me to thank everyone involved in making their s’mores, because they figured it would increase the number of s’mores around the house. But I chose coffee because it’s my version of s’mores: A huge treat. A.J. Jacobs and Joe's Director of Sourcing Ed Kaufmann You talked in your book a lot about how far to take the journey—and why you had to limit it to only 1000 thank-yous. Were there any people you felt were a stretch?  My wife told me that thanking Beyonce was a stretch (I thanked her because her music kept the truck drivers awake as they drove the beans to the store). And maybe it was. But the point of the book is to embrace six degrees of gratitude. I wanted to show that thousands of people are involved in every little item in our lives, and we take those people for granted.  Does it still feel like there are people you’ve omitted? Absolutely. I could have spent 50 years thanking all the people involved in the coffee chain. Plus, I sometimes put almond milk in my coffee (sorry Ed! I know you prefer it when I drink it straight up). So I could thank all the people on that chain too.  I did get to thank the founder Jonathan Rubinstein, but I wish I’d had room to write a whole section on him. I love his passion for his customers and his coffee—not to mention all things Disney. Joe Coffee barista Chung Lee Was there any one moment of thanking somebody on this journey that you felt made the most impact or had the most meaning in the other party’s life? I don’t know if it had the most impact on her life, but I loved talking with barista Chung Lee. She said Joe Coffee clients are almost always friendly. But there are the occasional clients who place their orders without even looking up from their phones. They just hand over their credit card. They treat baristas like vending machines, not a humans. I realized I’ve been that jerk sometimes. So I’ve made a vow to always look people in the eye when dealing with them. It’s such a small thing, but it has such a huge impact on both parties. Humans were meant to connect face to face. I also remember calling the woman who does pest control for the warehouse where the coffee is stored. I said, "I know this sounds strange, but I want to thank you for keeping the bugs out of my coffee." She said, "That is strange, but thank YOU. We don't get a lot of appreciation around here." I felt like it was an anti-crank phone call. I felt like I was doing penance for my obnoxious calls in high school. If you get a bad coffee somewhere—are you still just as grateful? Ha! Well, it depends. If I haven’t had any coffee that day, I try to be grateful for, say, airplane coffee. But it’s a much milder gratitude. It’s like a decaf version of gratitude, to use a coffee metaphor. Has your gratitude journey rubbed off on the people around you? I’ve gotten wonderful feedback from readers. I spend much of my day thanking readers who send me thank you notes for writing the book. The danger is that they will thank me for thanking them for thanking me. It could be an infinite loop. A.J.'s book Thanks a Thousand is out now on TED Books.

Fifteen years ago, Joe was just a twinkle in the eye of our founder, Jonathan Rubinstein. We asked him to share some of his memories. Jonathan Rubinstein at Cadillac House. Back in early 2003, as I was wandering the streets and dreaming of opening a coffee shop, I passed by a storefront on Waverly Place that seemed like the perfect first location for a yet-unnamed coffee shop idea—the top contenders were LatteLand and Two Cups!. It had a front patio, exposed brick, lots of windows and a banjo player strumming out front. I quickly called the number on the window and made an offer. 24 hours later, I was told the space, recently a dry cleaner, was mine and I set off on the adventure of a lifetime. Joe opened with the help of my immediate family, who became my partners. My mother played barista, my sister helped to manage, and my father did the books. We knew almost nothing about coffee, but knew that it was near impossible to find a great cup in NY, even with its sophisticated residents and great culinary scene. We found a great roaster in Massachussets, threw ourselves into learning both how to make great coffee and how to run a business. We decided our competitive edge, which spoke to us as people, would be not just to serve delicious coffee but to make people feel good when they came in to our shop. I worked as a barista right up until my daughter was born at the beginning of 2009. Jonathan and Gabrielle Rubinstein visiting coffee farms in Costa Rica, 2003. We learned most of what we know about coffee from Amanda Byron, who worked with Joe for the first dozen years of the business before moving back to the West coast. Amanda was the only person for probably the first six weeks we were open who could pour latte art. For the first year, because nobody else was pouring latte art in the city, people thought it was the rainbow bagel or something that no one had ever seen. There were a lot of people with actual cameras (because there were no cell phone cameras), asking if there was "definitely a toothpick" involved etc. Our latte art was beginner latte art back then but everybody thought it was amazing. For the first few weeks we only opened our store when Amanda could work, because nobody else could pour latte art, including ourselves. And because there was nobody else to train us, except Amanda! Another one of our earliest employees was Miles Seaton, who went on to be successful with the band Akron/Family. Amanda Byron and Miles Seaton at Waverly Place. I think the first phenomenon of people talking about us was because Amy Sedaris used to bake our cupcakes. The week that we opened, Sarah Jessica Parker came into the store—I had known her a little bit in a previous life because I worked with Cynthia Nixon, and she was a neighbor, she lived in the Village. She said, "I have a friend, Amy Sedaris"—I had never heard of her—"Would you ever consider selling her cupcakes? Here's her home number, tell her you're a friend of mine. She likes to keep busy when she's not filming." So I called her, she came in, she lived a block or two away, and so she would basically bring in a tray of cupcakes, we'd hand her $12 cash, they always had some crazy decorative trinket that she used to collect. You'd never know if she'd come in seven days a week or if she'd disappear for three weeks, you didn't know. She had such a huge cult following that people would hang around the store just to catch a glimpse of her, and then the phone would start ringing from all over the country. Eventually she got super busy and realized she neither needed the $12 nor was it a profitable business. A typical Amy Sedaris cupcake purchased at Joe Coffee. Photo by k10_ on Flickr. I remember in the great power outage in August of 2003, we were only four weeks old. We didn't have power, so all of our food was expiring and we didn't know what to do. We were out in the streets handing out food, giving away gallons of milk, lending money to regulars because ATMs were out and you couldn't get money, taking money out of the cash register. This was a pretty risky thing to be doing on only day 25 of being in business, but like all of New York City, we survived it. Old school Joe shingle. Photo by Andrew Schecter. It's New York, so famous people have always come into the store—from David Schwimmer to Nancy Pelosi—and of course, Philip Seymour Hoffman was a longtime fixture at our Waverly Place location. Bill Hader's character Stefon on Saturday Night Live is based on one of our baristas at 23rd Street. And the only time Rachael Ray came in, I was on bar at 13th street and she ordered a bagel. I was so nervous that while I was using one of those bagel-slicing guillotines, I pressed down too hard and the guillotine went flying and landed on her table, and her. Gabrielle Rubinstein, Danny Meyer, Doug Satzman, and Jonathan Rubinstein There's validation when admirable chefs come in, food people, it always gives us reason to feel good about what we're doing. Danny Meyer is a good example because that's how he first found us—by coming in for a coffee at Waverly Place. Ed Kaufmann sample roasting coffee at Pulley Collective. Our biggest successes were starting to roast, of course, and bringing Ed Kaufmann on board when the whole idea of roasting came bout. Ed was a friend and one of the very few coffee professionals living in the city at the time and he said "I want to join your family." Now, when we take stock, we have 260 people whose jobs are Joe, which feels really good. If we look at our alumni of probably the couple thousand people who've worked here, so many have stayed in coffee, that feels really good too. Meister, Will Gross, Brendan Mullally—I could list a ton of really important industry people who've gone on to great careers in coffee or who won their own shops. To foster their beginnings in coffee, and to pioneer great coffee in new neighborhoods, that feels really good. That—and looking forward to everything yet to come.

The friendship between coffee and beer is well known, whether they're being enjoyed one after the other—or in delicious combination. This fall, we're excited to announce a special collaboration with a groundbreaking brewery from our neighbo(u)rs to the north in Canada, Collective Arts Brewing. Founded in Ontario, the visual artists and brewing artisans at Collective Arts crossed the border to NYC this September with the launch a new beer featuring—you guessed it—our very own coffee. It's called the Percolated Haze IPA, and it stars La Familia Guarnizo, one of our very favorite relationship coffees from Colombia. Joe Coffee Head Roaster Andrew Oberholzer tells the story: "We knew we wanted to do something non-traditional for a coffee beer, so the team from Collective Arts came down to our NYC roastery with their entire portfolio. We tasted all of the beers with many different coffees in many different ratios. Once we settled on a coffee, we paid particular attention to its tasting notes to select hops that would pair well with and accentuate those notes. The citrus, brown sugar, and herbal notes of La Familia Guarnizo basically begged for an IPA pairing. Then I spent time perfecting roast profiles to find the perfect harmony of hops and coffee. I've never had a coffee IPA quite like this. Oftentimes in coffee beers you'll get a big rush of coffee flavor and then the beer, but they never really feel very put together. This one is very balanced, I'm very happy with the integration of the coffee and beer—it feels very cohesive." Collective Arts Brewing focuses on creativity both in their beers and their presentation. The brewer features limited-edition works of art on their beer cans and labels, part of a commitment to celebrating emerging artists and musicians that extends all the way into hosting art and music shows at their brewery. The artwork for Percolated Haze comes from Massachussetts graphic artist Jeff Bartel, and features just the kind of livey—and mindblowing—imagery this beer brings to mind. Here at Joe, we think all the pieces fit together perfectly. "Our first mission is to make creative, quality beer," says Collective Arts brewmaster Ryan Morrow. "Our second is to support the creative class and team up with business, artists, restaurants, or any like-minded people, for that matter. It's our way of exploring new opportunities and pushing the limits of what we can do. Joe Coffee does an incredible job of making quality coffee with a focus on innovation." Check out Collective Arts Brewing's NYC debut at the following launch events this week: 09.13.18 Greenwood Park | 6 – 9 PM 555 7th Ave, Brooklyn09.14.18 Gowanus Pub Crawl | 4PM – 8PM (Five bars, starting at The Gate, then moving on to Fourth Avenue Pub, St. Gambrinus, Lavender Lake, and BierWax.)