BY YANNIC RACK | One of the country’s premier coffee roasters opened its doors in Chelsea last week — and just in time to refresh residents with its signature Draft Latte this summer.
Craft-coffee company La Colombe, which stands apart from the competition by offering the cool, refreshing cold-pressed coffee concoction on tap, opened its sixth location in the city inside the Terminal Warehouse at 601 W. 27th St. last Fri., April 22.
“It has been incredible to see this neighborhood grow and change over the years,” said JP Iberti, President and co-founder of La Colombe, adding that the company has actually been based in the area for a while, albeit with an office rather than a storefront.
“We’ve had offices here for 15 years, and now we’re excited to be opening a full-service cafe and invite people in,” said Iberti.
The cafe chain, which started in 1994 in Philadelphia, is known for the Draft Latte, a textured cold version of the drink made with frothed milk and cold-pressed espresso.
La Colombe is partnering with City Bakery to offer freshly baked sweet pastries and savory dishes at its new location, a 2,260-square-foot space used by a manufacturer that retains elements of the original interior, including exposed brick, large wood columns, and wood floors.
Like at the specialty roaster’s other outlets, one key cafe amenity will be missing, however — Wi-Fi, which goes against the brand’s philosophy “to unplug and encourage customers to relax, read, write, and socialize,” according to a statement.
With the opening of the new Chelsea location, La Colombe now operates six cafes throughout New York City, as well as additional ones in Philadelphia, Chicago, Washington, DC, and Boston.
More outposts are scheduled to open in 2016, according to the company, which also provides signature blends and single-origin coffees to other cafes, hotels, restaurants and retailers around the world.
La Colombe (601 W. 27th St., at 11th Ave.) is open from 7am–7pm, Mon.–Fri., and from 8am–7pm on weekends. Visit lacolombe.com.
