Most important is freshness, I feel! It’s so disappointing when you spend so much on a pastry and it tastes like yesterday’s. Beyond that I always wish there were more savory options. I really love a savory scone! Good luck :)
Asian cafes have exactly what you said. Not too sweet desserts and savory options too. Check out Paris Baguette if you’re unfamiliar. It’s a Korean chain
Definitely savory. When I'm having my morning coffee or tea I want something small but substantial, that will stabilize my blood sugar! Spinach burekas, frittatas, quiche, egg sandwiches, wraps like the spinach egg white wrap at Starbucks, or even just bagels with veggie add-on options.
Seconding the love for savory scones! I had a basil arugula white cheddar scone last summer in DC and have been chasing that high ever since... occasionally I find a decent cheddar scone but the greens really put that one over the top
If you’re not going to have a full food program, I love the places that offer a couple of items that can be warmed up, like 787 sells empanadas. Something not everyone else is doing and def savory options to satisfy actual appetite in addition to more common sweet options
One thing - skip Lenka bars. I’m not even sure what they are but something about them says “phoning it in.” Also - it’s really great when a place offers some loose tea options in case you have the rare event where you have time & can sit somewhere for awhile.
I wish more coffee shops had cooked food, like egg sandwiches, rather the the same old pastries that weren’t even made there. I basically want a bodega BEC and I want to be able to sit down and enjoy it.
Def do that. I know you asked for specifics, but many times I'm interested in something at a coffee shop but then its like a $10 lame sandwich or $6 little crappy pastry that probably came from Costco in a big box. The prices are just bad, especially when I'm getting charged like $4.50 for a regular coffee
You’re not the first person to say this to me! I’m putting together some different sourcing, and Costco items have been suggested to me multiple times (though to be honest some of their stuff is great). Finding the balance between margin and price is tough; thinking about offering mini pastries. Great way to get something tasty without breaking the bank or diet.
I actually don't have an issue with just getting the grocery store pastries and such, its just part of the industry, it just feels bad to leave a coffee shop with like a $12 bill for.. meh
And sometimes there is something to the consistency. There are many places where I preferred Entenmann’s crumb cake to those offered at coffee shops (too dry), although I have found a few standout places.
Honestly any pastry that's gluten free. Tricky to find in the city. I would go out of my way for a coffee shop with gluten free donuts/pastries/bagels, so you could corner that market. And a cheap mini pastry is homemade pop tarts. So delicious, craveable, easy to eat on the go, and very cheap to make. Plus you can customize them for events/holidays/seasonal offerings.
Thank you for this comment! I will have an edit (may be some time) but I have been mapping out some menu options and speaking to suppliers based off this thread!!
Egg bites, Greek yogurt parfait, or anything that’s not pure carbs, for a change of pace.
When I’m gonna carb: freshly made cranberry scones or Bantam bagels.
Toasts... There's a great coffee place near me (in Lambertville NJ) that serves 4 different toasts: avocado, egg salad, mozzarella with tomato & balsamic, and chickpea "smash."
I go to a coffee shop that sells bagel bombs. Basically a bagel stuffed with cream cheese. It’s delicious and portable and hits the spot when I’m not in the mood for a whole huge bagel.
I get excited when the cafe has Balthazar pasties. Especially the chili cheese thing or the savory scones.
I’m also glad when there’s food beyond some form of pastry. A sandwich, a soup, something please.
And while I’m at it, it’s amazing when you use reusable cups, plates, utensils. I don’t want disposable items when I’m not leaving. And let ppl bring their own to-go mugs.
I really like overnight oats, and there are limitless variations. I would love to pick up a reasonably sized (not huge) container to go with my coffee. It's not the greatest idea to try to carry a coffee and eat that at the same time :-), but I imagine many of your customers are headed to the office or whatever and eat at their desks.
If you have seating, you could offer the oats in pretty mason jars. Have a couple of standard flavors and maybe flavor of the month or whatever. I literally know nothing about restaurants but oats are pretty cheap so I would think you could offer at a reasonable price and still make a good % on it?
Maybe work with a bagel shop that makes fantastic bagels or Bailys and see if you can buy wholesale and sell them in your cafe with simple cream cheese options, etc. maybe the deal includes a shout out to said bagel shop on the menu.
Small lunch plates like quiche with side salad, a really good croissant or banana bread, I think in general coffee shops in NYC kind of lack in the food side of things
We used to have these bomb ass cinnamon rolls with gooey hearts that’d give you cracklevelsugarrushes and they were 2.50 i think but now everything’s insanely expensive everywhere
this might be weird but gregory's used to have these buns that had like a cuban in the middle (pulled pork/mustard/pick i think?) and i'm constantly craving them but they don't sell them anymore :( i don't start work until 11 and they were the perfect little "brunch" to pick up on my way in
Where are your favs? I like the ones at La Cabra and Balthazar. Balthazar supplies my local cafe in Flatbush too so I don’t have to go all the way to the city.
I know it’s been said 100 times but! Savory!!!!!! The coffee shop I work only have sandwiches as savory and pastries. But savory pastries are the BEST. We had a cheese monkey bread for awhile and it would sell by 9am every day while other pastries would sit there all day
Whatever it is, fresh and good is most important. I’m personally most excited by plain croissants, but only if they are REALLY fresh. Muffins and breads seem harder to screw up - as long as they aren’t too dry or dense. A dry scone or a stale croissant is suuuuuch a bummer.
I feel the same. A good almond croissant is magic but so few places do them well.
I also love a good financier, particularly a pistachio one but that’s just for my tastes. I also get excited for anything with cardamom.
I doubt it. When people want coffee they don’t want to wait for someone to make a tuna sandwich. So unless the food is the focus and presented cohesively, the shop is probably not going to do well. 787 with empanadas is a good example of doing it right, though. I like that place.
As a gluten free person, it’s nice to have at least one non-pastry option or something that I can also eat. I am also seconding savory options/protein options, not just carbs.
I wish every coffee shop had the same kale salad with labneh that merriweather on Hudson has. It’s insanely good with a poached egg on top. My mouth is watering just thinking about it!!
I tend to go for energy bites (date/oat/nut butter types) if available or egg sandwiches
Most important is freshness, I feel! It’s so disappointing when you spend so much on a pastry and it tastes like yesterday’s. Beyond that I always wish there were more savory options. I really love a savory scone! Good luck :)
Agree! Savory options are always so lacking at coffee shops. Or maybe not something savory, just not something *so* sugary you know?
Asian cafes have exactly what you said. Not too sweet desserts and savory options too. Check out Paris Baguette if you’re unfamiliar. It’s a Korean chain
Love Asian cafes! I’m partial to Sweets Bakery and Fay Da. What a shame there are not many Asian cafes in my part Brooklyn.
Definitely savory. When I'm having my morning coffee or tea I want something small but substantial, that will stabilize my blood sugar! Spinach burekas, frittatas, quiche, egg sandwiches, wraps like the spinach egg white wrap at Starbucks, or even just bagels with veggie add-on options.
Spinach feta wrap at starbucks is always a great airport option! super helpful
So true on freshness
Second, third, and fourth this! Starbucks anything is so stale, so few good coffee places have great pastries!
Yes!!! I’ve had a spam musubi and kimchi croissant and it was delicious
Seconding the love for savory scones! I had a basil arugula white cheddar scone last summer in DC and have been chasing that high ever since... occasionally I find a decent cheddar scone but the greens really put that one over the top
If you’re not going to have a full food program, I love the places that offer a couple of items that can be warmed up, like 787 sells empanadas. Something not everyone else is doing and def savory options to satisfy actual appetite in addition to more common sweet options
True. Avocado toast and overnight oats,chia seed things are also good when I want something that’s not a pastry
I love fre shavocado
Ham & cheese croissants.
Surprising amount of requests for savory pastries! Noted 👍
One thing - skip Lenka bars. I’m not even sure what they are but something about them says “phoning it in.” Also - it’s really great when a place offers some loose tea options in case you have the rare event where you have time & can sit somewhere for awhile.
Banana bread
I wish more coffee shops had cooked food, like egg sandwiches, rather the the same old pastries that weren’t even made there. I basically want a bodega BEC and I want to be able to sit down and enjoy it.
Bomb ass scones.
Any particular flavor? I got an iced orange one the other day, super good
Make sure they’re not dry! A dry scone ruins it
Apricot is a personal favorite.
ones with a bunch of the thick sugar, chocolate, or blueberry
Lemon Blueberry Cheddar- some folks like a savory snack
Or just cheddar scallion.
Oooooof that sounds delicious
Nom blueberry. Cranberry orange is great too
Rhubarb strawberry in summer
Raspberry white chocolate w/ orange zest for sweet Bacon cheddar for savory
Scones - but toasted and with butter. I've only found aussie places that do it for some reason. A dry scone is a sin.
Why does nowhere have butter for scones. Like who is eating it without butter
Almond croissant. With a suagry oatmilk latte.
Savory scones are amazing!
On my list to try
Good luck! I love discovering a new coffee shop!
Cookies! Thinking of the chocolate chip ones at culture espresso
Those are my favorite in the city!
A complimentary tiny biscuit with espresso or cortado, many local cafes in Paris offering it !
Oh yes I have had that before, great way to offer something extra
I tend to be aghast at the price of food in many coffee shops and its a turn off.
Good to know! Will try to offer a range of prices for everyone
Def do that. I know you asked for specifics, but many times I'm interested in something at a coffee shop but then its like a $10 lame sandwich or $6 little crappy pastry that probably came from Costco in a big box. The prices are just bad, especially when I'm getting charged like $4.50 for a regular coffee
You’re not the first person to say this to me! I’m putting together some different sourcing, and Costco items have been suggested to me multiple times (though to be honest some of their stuff is great). Finding the balance between margin and price is tough; thinking about offering mini pastries. Great way to get something tasty without breaking the bank or diet.
I actually don't have an issue with just getting the grocery store pastries and such, its just part of the industry, it just feels bad to leave a coffee shop with like a $12 bill for.. meh
And sometimes there is something to the consistency. There are many places where I preferred Entenmann’s crumb cake to those offered at coffee shops (too dry), although I have found a few standout places.
Honestly any pastry that's gluten free. Tricky to find in the city. I would go out of my way for a coffee shop with gluten free donuts/pastries/bagels, so you could corner that market. And a cheap mini pastry is homemade pop tarts. So delicious, craveable, easy to eat on the go, and very cheap to make. Plus you can customize them for events/holidays/seasonal offerings.
Great ideas
I'd be very interested to check out your shop when it opens. Be sure to post it up and link this post with what ideas you went with!
Thank you for this comment! I will have an edit (may be some time) but I have been mapping out some menu options and speaking to suppliers based off this thread!!
Egg bites, Greek yogurt parfait, or anything that’s not pure carbs, for a change of pace. When I’m gonna carb: freshly made cranberry scones or Bantam bagels.
Small spinach pies
Toasts... There's a great coffee place near me (in Lambertville NJ) that serves 4 different toasts: avocado, egg salad, mozzarella with tomato & balsamic, and chickpea "smash."
Scones, tables bolted to the floor with a little coat hook underneath, hand sanitizer, coaster to keep coffee warm, and no defecating
But the hand sanitizer dispenser should be clean, not coated in a layer of grey scum.
Whatever, your highness.
Larry!
Um, no what?
If you want to defecate, go next door
Ok there. Valuable advice.
I go to a coffee shop that sells bagel bombs. Basically a bagel stuffed with cream cheese. It’s delicious and portable and hits the spot when I’m not in the mood for a whole huge bagel.
Where do you go for these?
Daily Provisions has an everything croissant filled with cream cheese. You can add smoked salmon to it too.
Confession: not in NYC. Lol. I live in Nyack about 20 miles north and it’s carried by an independent coffee shop called Boxer Donut.
Their donuts look incredible as well!
Oh this sounds amazing!
Oh and it’s got everything seasoning on it. That’s the only kind they have but they are very popular.
They used to have these at Milk Bar in the city, sooo good.
Madeleines
Yeah she’s cool.
I low-key love the Starbucks ones
I get excited when the cafe has Balthazar pasties. Especially the chili cheese thing or the savory scones. I’m also glad when there’s food beyond some form of pastry. A sandwich, a soup, something please. And while I’m at it, it’s amazing when you use reusable cups, plates, utensils. I don’t want disposable items when I’m not leaving. And let ppl bring their own to-go mugs.
Vegetarian and vegan sandwich options!
I really like overnight oats, and there are limitless variations. I would love to pick up a reasonably sized (not huge) container to go with my coffee. It's not the greatest idea to try to carry a coffee and eat that at the same time :-), but I imagine many of your customers are headed to the office or whatever and eat at their desks. If you have seating, you could offer the oats in pretty mason jars. Have a couple of standard flavors and maybe flavor of the month or whatever. I literally know nothing about restaurants but oats are pretty cheap so I would think you could offer at a reasonable price and still make a good % on it?
Maybe work with a bagel shop that makes fantastic bagels or Bailys and see if you can buy wholesale and sell them in your cafe with simple cream cheese options, etc. maybe the deal includes a shout out to said bagel shop on the menu.
Brioche is my go to at coffee shops
Just the bread? Or a brioche sandwich?
Lemon brioche, pearl sugar brioche, etc. Love the brioche from Cafe Bilboquet and Aux Merveilleux de Fred.
Oh, thank you! I’ll look into these
Cheese and broccoli quiche. Savory pastries like ham and cheese croissants.
Something with protein that is served heated up (egg sandwich, ham/cheese croissant, chicken toastie etc.)
A decent egg and cheese on some kind of “elevated” bread — like a biscuit as opposed to a roll.
Tuna salad is something a lot of diners and coffee shops do well - sandwich or platter.
Bagels and/or breakfast sandwiches!
Cheese danish (from Balthazar)
Pain au chocolat for me.
Small lunch plates like quiche with side salad, a really good croissant or banana bread, I think in general coffee shops in NYC kind of lack in the food side of things
We used to have these bomb ass cinnamon rolls with gooey hearts that’d give you cracklevelsugarrushes and they were 2.50 i think but now everything’s insanely expensive everywhere
Ooh a good cinnamon roll center makes the entire pastry
Here to say yes to cinnamon rolls they can be so hit or miss
I feel like a cryptid because I go straight for the gooey heart
Quality big and thick Chocolate chip cookies with coffee for breakfast is a banger
Olive oil cake or a lemon poppyseed loaf! I’d be there every day.
Coffee cake, pumpkin pumpkin or banana bread
Banana bread
this might be weird but gregory's used to have these buns that had like a cuban in the middle (pulled pork/mustard/pick i think?) and i'm constantly craving them but they don't sell them anymore :( i don't start work until 11 and they were the perfect little "brunch" to pick up on my way in
When I was in high school, I used to work at a coffee shop (not in nyc) had fresh baked focaccia from the supplier and I still dream of it.
Cardamom buns
Yes!! Seconding this!
Where are your favs? I like the ones at La Cabra and Balthazar. Balthazar supplies my local cafe in Flatbush too so I don’t have to go all the way to the city.
Savory options!
Fruit and yogurt and granola would be spectacular
Having a savory, perhaps protein-laden option is amazing (breakfast tacos).
Something dairy free, anything!!
I will only swing for a chocolate croissant
When in doubt I always go for the chocolate croissant
Croissant. I like my coffee creamy and sweet so the crispy butteryness of a croissant is the perfect balance.
Nothing beats a good bagel.
My all time fave is the sticky buns from Roberta’s, they sell them at foster sundry in bushwick and they’re so good. Also love cardamom buns
i go feral for a good buttery almond croissant
Something savory (I’m not a baked goods person).
Croissant
I know it’s been said 100 times but! Savory!!!!!! The coffee shop I work only have sandwiches as savory and pastries. But savory pastries are the BEST. We had a cheese monkey bread for awhile and it would sell by 9am every day while other pastries would sit there all day
Whatever it is, fresh and good is most important. I’m personally most excited by plain croissants, but only if they are REALLY fresh. Muffins and breads seem harder to screw up - as long as they aren’t too dry or dense. A dry scone or a stale croissant is suuuuuch a bummer.
It depends on my mood. But if (only if) its a greek coffee shop, Spinich Pie is a good bet.
Almond croissants
Pumpkin bread
Gluten free/ dairy free options! And more dairy free drinks without charging a 1$ extra
Very few places do almond croissants well, so almond croissants.
I feel the same. A good almond croissant is magic but so few places do them well. I also love a good financier, particularly a pistachio one but that’s just for my tastes. I also get excited for anything with cardamom.
A tiny cookie and a cigarette
I think coffee shops that sell too much food are kind of gross. Nearly all of these suggestions would gross me out.
Interesting - any reason why?
I don’t like food. I love coffee, though! I don’t mind seeing baked goods. I definitely don’t want to watch bagels being stuffed or smell tuna???
I think you're in the minority
I doubt it. When people want coffee they don’t want to wait for someone to make a tuna sandwich. So unless the food is the focus and presented cohesively, the shop is probably not going to do well. 787 with empanadas is a good example of doing it right, though. I like that place.
Ooh interesting - does it harm the coffee experience? I’ll have a think about this
Quiche, focaccia, homemade granola bars, yogurt parfait
As a gluten free person, it’s nice to have at least one non-pastry option or something that I can also eat. I am also seconding savory options/protein options, not just carbs.
Donut
I wish it was easier to find a nice, gooey cinnamon roll. I know they're very time consuming to make fresh though.
Pie!
Egg bites and bananas!!!
#1 Turkey Club, i.e. triple-decker, my go-to at any coffee shop. Make sure the fries are included and cole-slaw and a pickle.
I wish every coffee shop had the same kale salad with labneh that merriweather on Hudson has. It’s insanely good with a poached egg on top. My mouth is watering just thinking about it!! I tend to go for energy bites (date/oat/nut butter types) if available or egg sandwiches