Café Culture: Toby's Estate opens in New York
Posted by Nicola Heath for Food - Tue, 14 Feb 2012 14:04
Find me on Twitter: @nicoheath
Australian coffee is slowly going global. The latest Australian operation to launch overseas is Toby's Estate, who have opened a cafe in the hip New York suburb of WIlliamsburg.
How was your first week or so of business?
Our first week of business has been really great. We're in a busy area of Brooklyn called Williamsburg, which is full of people who are willing to try new things. There is also a good number of Aussie expats in the neighborhood, so it's been really rewarding to see people excited about Toby's making the move to NY.
Does Australian-style coffee have a good reputation in New York? Do people identify the flat white as Australian/Kiwi?
Australian style espresso has a good reputation in New York, but because the US is so far away from Australia and not many Americans have visited Australia, there are still many New Yorkers experiencing our Australian style of coffee for the first time. We are also embracing different forms of brewing like Chemex and V-60 (with a custom made marble pour over bar) which have been pioneered in the US and Japan, so it's great sharing these new forms of brewing with Aussies and we are slowly introducing these styles to our Australian cafes. There has been a lot of interest about flat whites, which are well known as an Australian coffee.
How many Australians work at Toby’s Estate Brooklyn? (If any!)
There are five Australian employees working at our Brooklyn location, which is about 20 per cent of our total staff. The majority of our staff members are Americans from different parts of the US with strong backgrounds in the specialty coffee industry.
What has been your most popular drink so far?
Our most popular drink has been the Kenya Kaiguri from our pour over bar. Kenya coffees are our favorite coffees. The right ones are astounding and provide a lot of people with an "aha!" moment when they taste something so different. Kaiguri is a coffee that keeps on giving - as this cup cools its perceived sweetness only intensifies. Roasting this particular coffee is interesting. Its full flavor leads to an exothermic reaction so large it can literally stall the roast. We have to be on our toes with this one and push through the majority of the first crack with applied heat, lowering the flame and letting it coast on its own momentum until we drop the batch at the right time, temperature and color.
What’s on the food menu?
On our food menu we have pastries from Balthazar, cookies from Ovenly NY, Tim Tams, pressed sandwiches, breakfast rolls, salads and soup.
Describe the café’s décor…
Our cafe is light and airy, welcoming people to linger with their coffee. The space was designed by Nema Workshop.
Is there a particular style of roast that is popular with NY coffee drinkers?
We have customized a blend for the US market called "Bedford" (the main street in Williamsburg, Brooklyn). This blend has finesse. It is approachable, discernible, and has a light body that will linger on your palate.
The blend has sparkling acidity, with tastes of meyer lemon, caramel, and milk chocolate.
You can find a list of our single origins here http://www.tobysestate.com/shop/coffee/single-origins
Is it crazy to open a café in the middle of an ongoing financial crisis?
There might not ever be a good time to open a business. You just have to do it when you have the means and time, which is now for us. We're in a busy area of Brooklyn with a large Aussie expat community, and neighbors that love trying new things.
How did you celebrate Australia Day?
For Australia Day, we are having music playing exclusively by Australian artists. We are giving out free Anzac Day biscuits with all coffees, and serving Vegemite toast all day. We are also showing people how to do Tim Tam slams.
What’s the best thing about living in NY?
We can't get enough of New York. It's an incredible cultural melting pot, with like minded people providing constant inspiration for each other. We particularly love Williamsburg, which is full of artists and musicians, and new food places opening all the time.
Find it: Toby's Estate, 125 N 6th St, Brooklyn
Australian coffee is slowly going global. The latest Australian operation to launch overseas is Toby's Estate, who have opened a cafe in the hip New York suburb of WIlliamsburg.
How was your first week or so of business?
Our first week of business has been really great. We're in a busy area of Brooklyn called Williamsburg, which is full of people who are willing to try new things. There is also a good number of Aussie expats in the neighborhood, so it's been really rewarding to see people excited about Toby's making the move to NY.
Does Australian-style coffee have a good reputation in New York? Do people identify the flat white as Australian/Kiwi?
Australian style espresso has a good reputation in New York, but because the US is so far away from Australia and not many Americans have visited Australia, there are still many New Yorkers experiencing our Australian style of coffee for the first time. We are also embracing different forms of brewing like Chemex and V-60 (with a custom made marble pour over bar) which have been pioneered in the US and Japan, so it's great sharing these new forms of brewing with Aussies and we are slowly introducing these styles to our Australian cafes. There has been a lot of interest about flat whites, which are well known as an Australian coffee.
How many Australians work at Toby’s Estate Brooklyn? (If any!)
There are five Australian employees working at our Brooklyn location, which is about 20 per cent of our total staff. The majority of our staff members are Americans from different parts of the US with strong backgrounds in the specialty coffee industry.
What has been your most popular drink so far?
Our most popular drink has been the Kenya Kaiguri from our pour over bar. Kenya coffees are our favorite coffees. The right ones are astounding and provide a lot of people with an "aha!" moment when they taste something so different. Kaiguri is a coffee that keeps on giving - as this cup cools its perceived sweetness only intensifies. Roasting this particular coffee is interesting. Its full flavor leads to an exothermic reaction so large it can literally stall the roast. We have to be on our toes with this one and push through the majority of the first crack with applied heat, lowering the flame and letting it coast on its own momentum until we drop the batch at the right time, temperature and color.
What’s on the food menu?
On our food menu we have pastries from Balthazar, cookies from Ovenly NY, Tim Tams, pressed sandwiches, breakfast rolls, salads and soup.
Describe the café’s décor…
Our cafe is light and airy, welcoming people to linger with their coffee. The space was designed by Nema Workshop.
Is there a particular style of roast that is popular with NY coffee drinkers?
We have customized a blend for the US market called "Bedford" (the main street in Williamsburg, Brooklyn). This blend has finesse. It is approachable, discernible, and has a light body that will linger on your palate.
The blend has sparkling acidity, with tastes of meyer lemon, caramel, and milk chocolate.
You can find a list of our single origins here http://www.tobysestate.com/shop/coffee/single-origins
Is it crazy to open a café in the middle of an ongoing financial crisis?
There might not ever be a good time to open a business. You just have to do it when you have the means and time, which is now for us. We're in a busy area of Brooklyn with a large Aussie expat community, and neighbors that love trying new things.
How did you celebrate Australia Day?
For Australia Day, we are having music playing exclusively by Australian artists. We are giving out free Anzac Day biscuits with all coffees, and serving Vegemite toast all day. We are also showing people how to do Tim Tam slams.
What’s the best thing about living in NY?
We can't get enough of New York. It's an incredible cultural melting pot, with like minded people providing constant inspiration for each other. We particularly love Williamsburg, which is full of artists and musicians, and new food places opening all the time.
Find it: Toby's Estate, 125 N 6th St, Brooklyn
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