Blank Street is down to 1 East Village location

Photo by Steven

The Blank Street outpost on Third Avenue between Ninth Street and 10th Street closed earlier this month.

After an expansion tear, the V.C.-funded coffee chain launched in 2020 has closed two of three East Village locations (not including the kiosk in the Bowery Market). The space on First Avenue at 13th Street closed to the public in May and is now a "training + innovation lab."

The Blank Coffee on Avenue A between Ninth Street and 10th Street remains in service.

As previously noted, not everyone is a fan of the company. Per the Times last year: "When word got out that Blank Street is not an independent chain like Variety or Bean & Bean, but an enterprise with global ambitions backed by private equity financing, many became curious — and sometimes suspicious."

Across the Atlantic, Blank Street opened in London last year and is debuting its first shop in Manchester next month.

This East Village outpost of Blank Street coffee will be a barista training lab

Photos by Steven 

The Blank Street outpost on the NE corner of First Avenue at 13th Street is now closed to the public. (Thanks to the EVG commenter who pointed this out yesterday.)

According to the door signage, this space will become a "training + innovation lab" for the fast-growing brand. 

And the small print: "Over the coming months we will also open the door to anyone who wants to come try some of the fun things we are working on. See you soon!"

Blank Streeters can still hit up the other two EV locations on Avenue A and Third Avenue. 

The First Avenue Blank Street opened last summer. 

As previously noted, not everyone is a fan of the company. Per the Times last year: "When word got out that Blank Street is not an independent chain like Variety or Bean & Bean, but an enterprise with global ambitions backed by private equity financing, many became curious — and sometimes suspicious."

Noted

As previously reported, a large rent hike forced the closure of Café Cortadito on Third Street just east of Avenue B. (The owners are hoping to reopen in a new space nearby.)

Meanwhile, someone left an In Memoriam behind on the front gate...

Block R.I.P. Cortadito but don't fret!! Coming soon.... BLANK ST COFFEE the hedge-fund sponsored Starbuck's in sheep's clothing where the coffee, atmosphere and philosophy is blah, blah, blah, contributing to the Death of the NYC Mom & Pop...

For starters, there isn't any truth to a Blank Street opening an outpost in this space.

Also, this is not the first time someone has dragged Blank Street, which has multiple EV locations, in a parting sign. (See this post.)

Blank Street, which some residents presume is a mom-and-pop enterprise, the brand raised $67 million in 2021 thanks to high-profile venture capital funds like General Catalyst and Tiger Global, the founders of Allbirds and Warby Parker, and real-estate titan Tishman Speyer, as The New York Times reported this past September.

Thanks to E3CD for the photo!

Why Blank Street Coffee seems everywhere, and maybe that's not a good thing

Photo on Avenue A from last fall

ICYMI: Several EVG readers passed along this piece from the Times last week titled "It's Not Just You — Blank Street Coffee Is Suddenly Inescapable." 

Four outposts (Avenue A, First Avenue, Third Avenue and the Bowery Market) have arrived in the East Village since last fall. 

Per the Times:

The rapid expansion has piqued the interest of New Yorkers, who became especially alert to changes in the streetscape during the pandemic. When word got out that Blank Street is not an independent chain like Variety or Bean & Bean, but an enterprise with global ambitions backed by private equity financing, many became curious — and sometimes suspicious.

And...

To fuel that growth, Blank Street raised $67 million last year; investors include high-profile venture capital funds like General Catalyst and Tiger Global, the founders of Allbirds and Warby Parker, and the real estate giant Tishman Speyer 

With that kind of backing, [co-founders] Mr. [Issam] Freiha and Mr. [Vinay] Menda had anticipated rapid growth. They did not anticipate that by debuting in Williamsburg and advertising their support for local business, they would invite the kind of scrutiny normally reserved for Met Gala outfits and Mets pitchers. Skeptics, who see Blank Street as an avatar of gentrification and automation, and resent the use of Wall Street money to compete with local businesses, have aired their objections on social media.

@livlaskowski i physically can’t stop myself from commenting on niche coffee news I’m sorry #blankstreet ♬ Just a Cloud Away - Pharrell Williams

Back to the Times... 

Jalen Williams, a product support engineer, stopped going to Blank Street soon after the very first brick-and-mortar shop opened on Bedford Avenue in his neighborhood. "People realized they were just here to check the Williamsburg box," he said.

As Eater pointed out in its brief — titled "The Oppressive Blah-ness of the Blank Street Coffee Chain" — about the article, Blank Street "has the potential to threaten mom-and-pop coffee shops." 

And how does it stack up against other chains? Per the Times, a 16-ounce Blank Street iced latte costs $4.25; at Dunkin’, $3.75; and at Starbucks, $5.50.

Coffee talk

As seen outside the recently opened Blank Street coffee on First Avenue and 13th Street...

"Caffeine [or caffiene] is a drug! And expensive shit. Smoke pot. Ha! ha!"

Blank Street continues East Village expansion with outpost on 1st Avenue

Updated July 1: This branch is now open

A new location of Blank Street coffee is coming to the NE corner of First Avenue at 13th Street (opposite the Starbucks on the NW corner).

Blank Street also carries products from local brands, including King Street Baking Co. and King David Tacos. 

Our previous post (here) has more background about Blank Street.

This will make the fourth outpost in the EV area for the fast-growing coffee brand. Last fall saw the arrival of branches at 149 Avenue A ...36 Third Ave. ... and in the Bowery Market. 

This storefront was last a GNC, which shuttered in the summer of 2020. 

Blank Street debuts on the Bowery

Blank Street coffee opened late last week in the Bowery Market.

The kiosk here in the open-air market at Great Jones also offers products from local brands, including King Street Baking Co. and King David Tacos.

This is the latest outpost for the fast-growing NYC brand that launched with a mobile cart in Williamsburg in the summer of 2020. 

Just last week, we reported that a Blank Street location is coming soon to 36 Third Ave. between Ninth Street and 10th Street. That post has more background about the company founded by Vinay Menda and Issam Freiha, who have aggressive plans for 100 locations operational by the end of 2022. 

The company recently secured $25 million in Series A funding to help realize this goal. 

Blank Street coffee looks to be opening an outpost on 3rd Avenue

Blank Street, the fast-growing NYC coffee brand founded in the summer of 2020, looks to be opening an outpost at 36 Third Ave. between Ninth Street and 10th Street.

The address just showed up on a Google Map of locations for Blank Street. (Thanks, Upper West Sider, for pointing this out!)

Here's more about the company via a Grub Street profile from August:

Blank Street has managed to underprice the competition. A cappuccino costs $5 at Blue Bottle, $4.15 at Starbucks, and $3.90 at Dunkin' Donuts. At Blank Street, it's $3.50. To achieve this, [founders Vinay Menda and Issam Freiha] have had to fundamentally rethink what customers like them really want from a coffee experience today, and what that might mean for the future of the beverage in New York City. 

Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of Blank Street is not just the way that the founders have fastidiously optimized their own operation but also the vision that Menda and Freiha have to update the thousands of coffee carts already doing business on city streets.

The two plan to have 100 locations operational by the end of 2022. 

Blank Street takes over space last leased by Frisson Espresso, which closed in September 2019 after 20 months in business.

This seems like goldmine territory for coffee given the proximity to college students (NYU and Cooper Union have dorms nearby). There is also plenty of competition, including the Bean across Third Avenue. Plus, the storefront-obscuring sidewalk bridge surrounding the residential building (The St. Mark at 115 E. Ninth St.) has been up for five-plus years.

Photo yesterday by Steven!