The Cafe Chronicle: Variety Coffee Roasters
Known for its small, but mighty caffeine selection, Variety Roasters is an NYC staple. Playing host to locations in Bushwick, Williamsburg, Greenpoint, Upper East Side, Chelsea, and their own by-appointment roastery in Brooklyn, they are an accessible and reasonably priced coffee option for locals and tourists alike. They’ve got your standard lattes, americanos, cappuccinos, mochas, cortados, cold brews, chai—the works. Chilled out baristas with serious indie vibes greet you upon entry but are ready to make you a drink on the fly. Since its inception in 2008, Variety has been a key player in Brooklyn’s coffee scene.
The Bushwick location is the one that I frequent the most, as it’s right around the corner from my dwellings. Pre-COVID, the cafe bustled with people at almost every hour of the day, from open to close, playing office to a number of writers, filmmakers, bloggers, and other young professionals. Their beautiful array of well-loved couches, mismatched chairs, and sweet wooden tables were comfy enough to keep you there for hours if you were able to snag a seat between peak hours. Not to mention their old-fashioned arcade table, made from the remnants of an actual PacMan arcade game. Cool right?
And to top it all off, they also have their own line of merch featuring crew necks and totes, plus collaborations with independent artists to create limited edition pieces like the Groucho Marx X VARIETY mug by Dominick Mango or the CODA skateboards t-shirt.
The point is: Variety is a wonderful space and you should definitely check it out if you find yourself in Brooklyn.
Store Info:
Variety Coffee Roasters (Bushwick) 146 Wyckoff Ave. Brooklyn, NY 11237, varietycoffeeroasters.com
In-Store Hours: 7am-7pm, Daily
Online: 24/7
It seems as though the pandemic has given the Bushwick location the perfect opportunity for a tiny face-lift. Variety has started planning out some new interiors now that outdoor dining and takeout have taken precedence over in-store coffee-sipping. They’ve rendered makeshift seating outside on a raised wooden platform with slotted chairs and tables spaced out to adhere to proper social distancing guidelines. Meanwhile, the inside of the shop is under renovation, creating what seems to be a long multi-seat, curved bench and tables to amplify the seating arrangements for the day that we can be within six-feet of one another. I imagine that they are modernizing the space a bit while trying to maintain the homey, local feel of the cafe.
My favorite of Variety’s offerings is the seasonal Maple Latte with oat milk. It’s a frothy delight full of smooth and creamy espresso with a touch of maple sweetness that airs on the side of autumnal with lasting robust qualities that make it perfect for the cold winter months. Not only do they have a maple option, but they’ve also branched into Tumeric Lattes and apple cider for those that want to add a little bit of *spice* to their life.
Though they present as “just a cafe” to Average Joe, they are also a well-known roastery and provide beans for a whole slew of other small cafes and bakeries in the NYC boroughs through wholesale. From their sold-out Hambela blend of Ethiopian beans with notes of bergamot, white grape, and chocolate, to the more obscure flavor profile of the Combapata blend of Peruvian beans featuring notes of vanilla, cantaloupe, and allspice, there’s no doubt why Variety has made its way into a number of other spaces. Aiming to source ethically, Variety offers a slew of green coffees, working together with producers to complete that mission.
While you’re visiting the shops, don’t skip out on their selection of pastries and baked goods. My go-to is their crisp-on-the-outside and internally gooey-on-the-inside almond croissant or their chocolate chunk cookie that feels like it was just MEANT to be dipped and soaked in coffee.
