A lot can happen in 22 years. Since opening our doors on the corner of Waverly and Gay in the Village, we’ve seen your kids become regulars, watched the city transform around us, and made it through highs, lows—and yes, even that citywide blackout in 2003.
Through it all, one thing’s been constant: you.
We’re here because of the community that’s grown with us, and we’re endlessly grateful. So let’s take a walk down memory lane at some of the moments that helped make Joe what it is today.
22. 2025 — Park Ave HQ & Training Lab Opens
Joe’s HQ has taken many forms over the years—from no office at all, to a loft above our 13th Street cafe, to a tucked-away space behind our Pro Shop cafe, and eventually to the 6th floor of 443 Park Ave South. Today, in 2025, we’ve moved just four floors up—with a lot more space and an unforgettable view of the Empire State Building. By relocating our training lab from Long Island City and expanding our footprint here, we’ve deepened our commitment to connection and community. This new space allows us to welcome baristas on their first day, host public and private classes, and connect with more people across the Joe network than ever before. We’re incredibly grateful to call it home.
21. 2024 — Launch Ready to use Espresso
In collaboration with our friends at BKON and their Coldstretto® extraction technology, we captured the essence of our signature Waverly Espresso in a shelf-stable, ready-to-use bottle. Designed for ease and versatility, Ready to use Espresso brings the rich, balanced flavor of our espresso to wherever you are—no machine required. First introduced at Natural Products Expo West to an enthusiastic response, it’s a seamless addition to any home bar or coffee setup. From morning lattes to espresso tonics and even coffee-infused baked goods, this innovative product delivers cafe-quality taste in every pour.
20. 2023 — Parallel Coffee Services Starts
What started as a behind-the-scenes support hub in the back of our Pro Shop cafe quickly grew into a trusted service partner for cafes across the city. Today, our in-house repair team is one of the things that sets Joe apart. With expert technicians on-call and ready to respond fast, we’re proud to offer the kind of reliability, knowledge, and care that New York’s coffee community can count on.
19. 2023 — The Village Launches
Thanks to the dedication of our VP of Coffee, Amaris Gutierrez-Ray, we launched a 100% women-produced coffee that highlights our commitment to gender equity year-round. This product serves as a platform to educate both our customers and staff about the importance of supporting women producers. It’s a key part of our ongoing initiative to champion gender equity every day, through coffee that celebrates the women behind the beans.
18. 2023 — The Ethical Business Council is Formed
In 2023, after years of conversation and collaboration, we launched the Ethical Business Council (EBC)—an employee-led, cross-functional group created to ensure more voices are represented in how we operate and grow. With members from every corner of Joe, from baristas to leadership, the EBC helps guide decision-making with equity, transparency, and integrity at the center. It’s a key part of how we’re building a more inclusive workplace—and a more ethical business—from the inside out.
17. 2021 — Cold Brew Can Launch
We took our fan-favorite cold brew—made with our signature Great Heights coffee—and turned it into a ready-to-drink can. What started in our cafes is now available across the country, including select Shake Shacks, airports, and grocery stores. It was a major step in expanding Joe’s national reach, making it easier than ever to enjoy our cold brew anywhere, anytime.
16. 2019 — Long Island City Roastery Opens
We relocate from our shared roastery in Red Hook to a 4,000-square-foot space in Long Island City. This new facility became home to our Roastery Lab—a hub for training, cupping, public classes, and eventually private events. It also serves as our production and distribution center, where all of our coffee is roasted, with dedicated space for quality control and wholesale training. The move marked a new chapter in scaling our operations while staying true to hands-on education and craft.
15. 2017 — First Brooklyn Cafe Opens
After 14 years in Manhattan, we crossed the East River and opened our first Brooklyn cafe on Hicks Street in Brooklyn Heights. This neighborhood has long held a special place in our story—it’s home to the Rubinstein family, who founded Joe back in 2003. On any given morning, you might spot one of them stopping in for their daily cup.
14. 2017 — Union Square Hospitality Group Partners with Joe
Impressed by our shared values of quality, sustainability, and hospitality, Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group invested in our growth—enabling a brand refresh, the opening of five new cafes, updates to existing cafes, and helping us secure our wholesale relationship with Daily Provisions. To this day, USHG continues to help us improve and imagine new possibilities.
13. 2013 — Joe’s First Good Food Award
Just two years after we began roasting our own coffee, we earned our first Good Food Award for our Ethiopia: Illubabor – Camp Cooperative—a bright, complex coffee that stood out among hundreds of entries from across the country. Selected by a panel of past Good Food Award winners, this recognition was more than just a medal; it marked a turning point for Joe. It validated our commitment to sourcing exceptional coffee and roasting with care, and helped establish us as a roaster to watch—not just in New York City, but nationwide. For a company that started as a single cafe in the West Village, this moment affirmed how far we’d come—and how much we were capable of.
12. 2012 — Pro Shop Opens at 131 W 21st St
Built for home brewers and coffee curious folks alike—we created Pro Shop to serve as a place to grab the gear you need, ask questions, and level up your at-home setup. One of the things that makes it special is the rotating lineup of guest roasters we feature alongside our own, giving you the chance to explore something new with every visit. It’s part retail, part education, and all about making great coffee feel a little more approachable.
11. 2012 — Joe: The Coffee Book is Published
The Rubinsteins teamed up with multiple James Beard Award–winning cookbook author Judith Choate and acclaimed food photographer Steve Pool to create a book that explores the close-knit, global specialty coffee community—celebrating the growers, buyers, roasters, baristas, and everyday drinkers who bring coffee to life. The book offers a behind-the-scenes look at how exceptional coffee is produced and shares brewing techniques for making a great cup at home, encouraging readers to consider the many hands and stories behind every sip.
10. ~2011 — Staff Seasonal Beverage Competition Launches
One of the most beloved traditions at Joe is the company-wide beverage competition, where creativity and friendly rivalry come to life. Over the years, it has given us iconic drinks like Roberta’s Lavender Earl Grey Latte, Mak’s Banana Bread Latte, Mami’s Yuzu Elderflower Spritz, and Rose’s Fig Balsamic Latte. Each season, the contest grows more inventive (and competitive)—and we’re always excited to see what new creations emerge.
9. 2011 — Joe Becomes a Coffee Roaster
Joe’s roasting journey began in Red Hook, Brooklyn, inside the Pulley Collective—a shared industrial space with unforgettable views of the Statue of Liberty and the smell of fresh-roasted coffee. Led by Ed Kaufmann, our then Director of Roasting, this move marked a turning point for Joe. A passionate coffee enthusiast with roots at Café Grumpy and Stumptown, Ed convinced Jonathan Rubinstein to bring roasting in-house. With Ed at the helm, we began crafting our own roast profiles from the ground up—laying the foundation for the coffees that now define Joe.
Our first roasted coffee began with a microlot from Huehuetenango, Guatemala, carefully selected by former Director of Roasting Ed Kaufmann after countless cuppings. Back then, we roasted just once a week—about 300 pounds at a time. Beans arrived on Thursdays and hit the shelves Friday, often selling out fast. For context: in 2025 alone, we’ve roasted nearly 100 times that amount.
8. 2010 — Gabby Rubinstein Marries Joe Regular
Co-founder Gabrielle Rubinstein was known for setting up customers and friends on blind dates, so it’s only fitting that she met her husband, Anthony Cheong, through the Joe run club. After two years of friendship, a New Year’s Eve kiss in 2009 sparked something more. Their love story was later featured in The New York Times Vows section, and today, they live with their daughter Isi just a short walk from our Brooklyn Heights cafe.
7. 2010 — First Origin Trip to Nicaragua
Three of our team members traveled alongside Steve Mierisch to visit his family’s farms and witness firsthand the journey coffee takes before it reaches our cafes. From biting into our first coffee cherries to walking alongside farmers and learning about Direct Trade in action, it was an eye-opening experience that deepened our connection to the people and places behind every cup.
6. 2010 — First Columbia University Cafe Opens
In 2010—seven years after opening our first cafe on Waverly Place—we opened our first Columbia University location in the Northwest Corner Building, the first of what would become five successful partnerships on campus. This move uptown introduced Joe to a whole new community: college students, faculty, and neighbors curious about coffee and eager to learn more. As much as we are there to keep students caffeinated, we also embraced the role of educators, sharing our passion for sourcing, quality, and craft with a new generation of coffee drinkers.
5. 2010 — SNL’s Bill Hader Bases Character on Joe Barista
Actor, producer, director, screenwriter, and former Saturday Night Live cast member (2005–2013) Bill Hader—alongside longtime collaborator John Mulaney—based the iconic character Stefon on a barista from our Chelsea cafe. Hader, who once lived right across the street, has credited the “really funny and nice barista at Joe” as the inspiration, noting the rapport they built during his time as a regular.
4. 2005 — Lee Harrison’s First Barista Shift
One of the things we love most about Joe is growing alongside the people who make it special. Lee Harrison started as a barista in 2005 at our second cafe, 13th Street, and went on to hold key leadership roles across the company, culminating in his promotion to COO in 2023. His hard work behind the bar and in the roastery—along with his steady presence and deep care—have helped make Joe, Joe.
3. 2005 — Second Cafe Opens on 13th St.
A milestone moment in Joe’s early days came just two years in, when we opened our second cafe on 13th Street, right around the corner from Parsons. Above it sat our first semblance of an “office”—a small loft only accessible by ladder. It was scrappy, tight, and full of promise. We had no idea how quickly we’d outgrow it, but that space marked the beginning of something bigger.
2. 2003 — Amy Sedaris’ Cupcakes
The Village has always been home to artists, actors, and creatives—and in our earliest days, that spirit showed up in the most unexpected way. Just days after we opened, Sarah Jessica Parker came by and suggested we carry her friend’s homemade cupcakes. Her friend happened to be Amy Sedaris. Within weeks, Sedaris was personally dropping off cupcakes at the cafe—always kind, always generous. The story took off, and soon we were getting calls from around the world. One person even tried to order five dozen for a wedding. It was our first real burst of press—and a memorable part of Joe’s early days. Sedaris donated all the proceeds to her rabbit rescue, a detail we’ll never forget.
1. 2003 — Joe Coffee Opens on the Corner of Waverly and Gay Street
When Jonathan and Gabby Rubinstein opened the doors at Waverly and Gay, there wasn’t much of a “coffee scene” in New York, but this little corner shop changed that. What began as a neighborhood cafe quickly became something bigger: a home for great coffee, warm conversation, and the early stirrings of third-wave culture in the city. It didn’t just serve coffee—it became part of the cultural fabric of New York, and helped shape a movement that would reach far beyond its corner.