Joe Coffee, a New York-based specialty coffee shop that was founded in 2003, recently unveiled a new brand identity and opened their first-ever standalone roastery in Long Island City.
The “pioneers of the local Third Wave coffee movement” was founded by Jonathan Rubinstein, who still serves as the CEO, with its first storefront in the West Village. Now, they have more than 20 cafes located in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Philadelphia — and their new Long Island City Roastery, Cafe and Lab, located on 40-37 23rd St.
“We’ve always loved coffee, and we’ve always loved the diverse communities that make New York City so singular,” Rubinstein said. “Since opening 16 years ago, we’ve strived to combine the two, creating spaces where people from all walks could not only get a great cup of coffee, but also feel welcome to linger a little longer.”
Thanks to a 2017 partnership with Danny Meyer’s Enlightened Hospitality Investments, they’ve also grown their presence online, wholesales and catering.
Joe Coffee’s new brand identity, with a new color palette made up of different shades of blue, features their updated specialty mark and includes a redesigned bench inspired by the original — which serves as a nod to the community that’s been with them since the beginning.
“We’ve been working on this new brand identity ever since our partnership with Enlightened Hospitality Investments has allowed us to do the important work of looking inward, encouraging us to be bolder in asserting our mission and core values,” Rubinstein said.
They worked with renowned designers Godfrey Dadich Partners (GDP) to better define Joe Coffee’s core values and make it immediately recognizable to their customers. Their core values are: “Curiosity, craft, commitment and community.”
“We’ve still got the same goal of weaving a tapestry of mutual respect and admiration with the community we’re inhabiting and its artistry, in or outside of New York, and serving up great, high-quality coffee combined with our Joe expertise — now, just with a bit more swagger,” Rubenstein said.
Danny Meyer, CEO and founder of Union Square Hospitality Group and the co-founder and Partner of Enlightened Hospitality Investments, said they were excited to help Joe Coffee unearth what distinguishes them from other coffee organizations.
“It’s not hard to see that beyond awesome coffee, a big part of the magic is how Joe welcomes each one of its customers like a regular, whether it’s a first visit or a hundredth,” Meyer said. “Now we’re excited for the team to unveil a striking new look that stays true to Joe’s humble origins and bold brand mission.”
In addition to a new logo and online look, their cafes have also received updated signage, new in-store ceramics with the new branding, a new coffee bag design that emphasize the coffee’s origins and information, to-go cups, and tote bags.
According to Joe Coffee, select cafes will also receive interior upgrades to create a “more comfortable and inviting atmosphere,” starting with their Lexington Avenue location.
There is also Joe Coffee app in the works with a new loyalty program that will be available on iPhone and Android.
Meanwhile, their newly opened Long Island City space is offering a new way for the community to interact with them.
All of their coffee for retail and wholesale will be roasted at the location’s roastery, while the cafe can seat up to 11 customers and will serve a full cafe menu with special selection of rotating seasonal single origin offerings available on pour-over as well as single origin espresso beverages. The Lab, in turn, will be a home base for Joe Coffee training and cupping, as well as public educational classes like Explorations in Roasting and, eventually, private events.
The cafe will be open on a daily basis from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, visit www.joecoffeecompany.com.
