Jonathan Rubinstein’s Post

Dear Joeys, It’s hard to believe…. It feels like just yesterday that I was behind the counter six days a week, making espresso drinks and welcoming customers. When we opened on July 17th, 2003, I was joined by my mother, my sister, our first director of coffee, Amanda Byron, and one experienced barista named Shane. Our menu back then was quite limited; it was the beginning of what we then called Third Wave Coffee in New York. At that time, people primarily enjoyed Americanos and whole milk cafe lattes, just starting to embrace the concept of single-origin coffee. We only accepted cash, punched loyalty cards by hand, and sold jarred candy by the pound—but I digress! Our coffee was roasted by our wonderful partners at Barrington Coffee Roasters. Walking into the original shop on Waverly Place 22 years later always feels a bit surreal. I was there this morning. Ask anyone I work with, and they'll tell you that my favorite moments at Joe Coffee Company are running into original customers whom I made coffee for. It boggles my mind that we have dedicated regulars who have been visiting us nearly every day for over 8,000 days. The cafe mostly looks the same—this is intentional—and it feels the same. I still watch people trying great coffee for the first time and see people connecting with others on our benches outside or at the tables inside. The authentic interactions between customers and staff remain, creating this magical atmosphere that many find essential to their daily lives. Our menu has evolved, of course. The world has changed, and specialty coffee shops now lead their menus with innovative and creative beverages featuring unusual and fascinating flavors. Although we didn’t start this movement, we embraced it back in 2011 with our seasonal beverage contest among staff members. This tradition continues, and we’ve already judged our staff-created beverages for late 2025 into 2026. The competition is fierce, and it’s become an integral part of our culture. This week, we even added cold foam to our drinks because… it’s absolutely delicious! There’s been a strong movement toward quality matcha-based drinks which is why we partnered with my old neighbor and our longtime friends at Kettl to continue bringing you the best of the best. And now you can find Joe as cans and specialty instant coffee on supermarket shelves, airports, hotels and even other people’s cafes. Who would’ve ever thought? What I’m saying is that we’re a bit different now, yet still the same. The world changes, New York changes, coffee culture changes—we change. However, when I step back and look at today’s menu, I feel excited and inspired about what the cafe experience will be in 2025 and what it can become. We plan to keep being part of that journey, meeting folks wherever they are in life, and fostering community not only in our cafes but all over the country. Yours truly, Jonathan Rubinstein