No flat whites? No small boutique coffee lounge on the way to work? Easy answer - "let's open a coffee shop". And where better to do that than your local! Three and a half Kiwis needed a local in New York City (Luke, Kirsten and Craig being Kiwis while their friend Jason is married to a Kiwi!). Coffee is big business! But for many coffee aficionados, it is the boutique coffee shop that is the answer to that needed "java kick" and a place to sit with friends and chat about family, friends, sports, and to solve the problems of the world. North of the border the dominant chain is Tim Horton's which, with expansion into the north-eastern USA and the Persian Gulf, has in excess of 3700 outlets. Dunkin' Donuts, a chain based out of Massachusetts, is a national challenger known as much for its doughnuts as its coffee with more than 11,000 outlets. A Seattle-based company, it has its challengers and none more so than in its founding city where 'kitty-corner' to most Starbucks is Tully's. Starbucks dominates this market across the USA and Canada with more than 22,550 stores in 65 countries and territories - a success story that began in 1971 but took on the major expansion process after 1984 (and can you guess what hit their menus last year - non other than flat whites!). More prevalent across North America are the "chain" coffee shops. Whether it is a flat-white at Jolt with a jaffa to boot, an early morning "get-me-going" coffee in the "snug at the Big Orange", a "perky little cup" at eclectic Ambrosia or a coffee like your mum always made at another coffee shop, you will never be far from your "cuppa".
Wanganui is the perfect example of the boutique coffee shop. In the days of that notorious highwayman, Dick Turpin, London was a city of numerous coffee shops and they outnumbered pubs! Today coffee shops abound around the world and the trade in North America is two-fold - either a "chain-based" coffee outlet or a boutique outlet. Researchers found caffeine shards from jars, bowls and pitchers located at archaeological sites and evidence has scientists believing that the caffeine likely was used in rituals and political events by the elite or "noble class". The space overall makes use and highlights industrial materials like brick, perforated mesh, blackened steel and wood, while keeping with a subtle palette of white, grey and black with pops of bright blue.Three and a half Kiwis opened Happy Bones coffee shops in NYC.Ĭoffee - coffee - coffee! That morning cup of java is what so many of us need to either kick off the day, to keep the day perking along, or both! Caffeine has been a driving force in many societies for years and recent research by University of New Mexico anthropology professor Patricia Crown showed it was an international market mover with ancient civilisations trading holly and cacao-based chocolate beverages between what is now modern-day Mexico and the south-west of what is now the United States for around 700 years! Holly was used to make a caffeinated tea. The middle space is done all in white and holds the seating area, gallery and publication display, while the back area is where orders are taken, and features a completely customized counter that can only be described as part machine, part console, by UM Project. The shop itself is divided into 3 zones…the entry way features a band of custom wallpaper by co-owner / artist Jason Woodside, which is very reminiscent of 80’s design. The owners envisioned a space that was a strong departure from the typical coffee shop look and feel, that features not only great coffee, but art and publications from around the world. The small 432 sq ft shop was originally an alleyway between two existing buildings, so maximizing the usable space for customers was of the utmost importance. We were originally approached by the co-owners, whom we have worked with numerous times before, to work on the design of the space with our frequent collaborator, Francois Chambard of UM Project. in the Soho neighborhood of New York City. Happy Bones NYC is a boutique coffee shop that re-opened from its original pop up location to its permanent home at 394 Broome St. Ghislaine Viñas Interior Design and UM Project have completed the design of Happy Bones NYC, a boutique coffee shop that was originally an alleyway between two existing buildings in the SoHo neighborhood of New York.