Manhattanville Coffee Shop is a welcome addition to Harlem's Hamilton Heights neighborhood.
Around one month old, Manhattanville Coffee Shop technically is not even in Manhattanville – it’s near St. Nicholas Park, on the intersection of Edgecombe Avenue and 142nd Street. But owners Rivka Sontag and Jack Gold couldn’t think of a name more fitting for their new business.
“‘Manhattan tells the story of sophistication and ‘ville tells the story of a small hometown,” Gold explained to DNAInfo.com
“The name could work in any city.”
Originally, Sontag and Gold were hired to renovate the space at 142 Edgecombe, but in the process, they decided that it was perfect to open up their own business.
Now, Manhattanville is one of the only coffee shops in the neighborhood, which seems to be adding restaurants very frequently as of late. The neighborhood is full of families, seniors and young professionals and benefits from its central location. Buffered by parks, schools and churches it’s one of Harlem’s hidden secrets.
The decor has a classic, almost rustic quality to it. Complete with high quality furniture, brick walls and a open entry way, it seems inevitable that this will become a center for lively and interesting conversations.
For now the shop has a limited menu of coffee and pastries, but is looking to expand into sandwiches and frozen treats during the summer. In the spirit of communal bonding (and smart business sense) they’ve introduced a loyalty card, which rewards local customers and gives them every tenth purchase free.
“We want to be the type of neighborhood coffee shop where neighbors can get to know one another,” said Sontag.
They’ve only been open for a few weeks, but judging by the heavy crowds, the plan is working.