Danny Meyer’s USHG Announces Investment in Joe Coffee
Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group and Affiliates Invest in Joe Coffee, the New York-Based Collection of Award-Winning Coffee Bars
New York, NY – January 23, 2017 – Union Square Hospitality Group (USHG) and affiliates today announced an investment in New York based Joe Coffee. USHG is the hospitality company founded by Danny Meyer, and owner of some of New York City’s most beloved restaurants. The investment and strategic alliance will be used to grow the Joe Coffee brand in New York, Philadelphia, and beyond.
Joe Coffee, one of the early pioneers of the third wave coffee movement in New York and a leader in the industry, was a natural investment given the company’s commitment to brewing the highest quality, responsibly-sourced beans, and its passion for serving coffee with warm and genuine hospitality. Joe has become the ultimate neighborhood coffee bar – a place for and of the community – for guests to gather, work, ponder, and perk up. The company roasts all of its own coffees in Red Hook, Brooklyn for its 14 cafes, as well as for many of the country’s most esteemed restaurants and cafes (Lilia, Cosme, Llama Inn, Bien Cuit, Arlo Hotels).
“Historically we’ve had the privilege of investing in some incredibly special companies whose cultures, leaders, and innovative business models caught our eyes, and Joe is no different,” said Danny Meyer, Chief Executive Officer of Union Square Hospitality Group. “USHG has had a meaningful relationship with Joe Coffee and founder Jonathan Rubinstein for many years, both as avid fans of their coffee bars and also having served their coffee at Union Square Events for years. We chose to make this investment with Joe Coffee because they are dedicated to the pursuit of making flawless coffee, are led by passionate and exceptional management, and share the same hospitality values as USHG.”
The investment will help fuel the growth of Joe coffee bars in cities across the country, and continue to build on Joe’s culture, team, community and marketing programs. In addition to the capital investment, USHG will work with Joe Coffee’s knowledgeable and experienced leadership team, who will continue to manage the business on a day-to-day basis, to provide industry insight and resources.
“We are incredibly proud and humbled that USHG and its affiliates have chosen to invest in Joe,” said Jonathan Rubinstein, Co-Founder and President of Joe Coffee. “Danny Meyer is a leader I have admired my entire professional career and to have the opportunity to partner with him and his outstanding team at Union Square Hospitality Group is a dream come true. With this new funding, we will continue to do what we love – roast, brew, and serve the best quality coffee with genuine hospitality – and now we are excited to bring Joe to even more great communities across the country.”
In addition to serving as the local coffee bar of choice for many Union Square Hospitality Group employees, USHG’s relationship with Joe goes back to 2006, when founder Jonathan Rubinstein served as a judge in the company’s first ever Barista Olympics. Since then Joe has worked closely with USHG, both as the exclusive coffee purveyor for the cafe in the 9/11 Memorial Museum Pavilion and at Public Fare, the all-day cafés at Central Park’s Delacorte Theater and in Bryant Park; and in early 2017 Joe will be featured at Daily Provisions, the soon-to-debut eatery adjacent to Union Square Cafe.
Since its start as a single coffee shop in Manhattan’s West Village, the “utopian coffee bar dream” of Founder Jonathan Rubinstein, Joe has nestled into some of the best corners of NYC. In 2005 Joe opened its second location near Union Square, followed by a steady stream of shops reaching from one end of Manhattan to the other. At Columbia University Joe serves students, professors and locals alike in a bright and airy José Rafael Moneo designed space. On the Upper East Side schoolchildren pile in straight off the bus for a Bien Cuit pastry or Underwest Donut. Within Grand Central Terminal Joe baristi caffeinate Metro North passengers as they move hurriedly in and out of the transport hub. Whether in Chelsea, Washington Square, Lincoln Square or beyond, Joe champions more than just what’s in the cup: Joe strives to make great coffee, and to make customers feel great, too.
Joe is a staunch advocate of coffee education for all, and works to be a source of information for coffee professionals and enthusiasts alike. Joe team members have the opportunity to take part in continuous professional development, with more than 100 educational opportunities offered each year, ranging from meet and greets with growers to dairy farm visits. At the Joe Pro Shop & HQ, located in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood, the public is invited for lectures, demonstrations and hands-on classes. The Pro Shop also serves as a showroom for state-of-the-art coffee equipment.
About Union Square Hospitality Group
Union Square Hospitality Group has created some of New York’s most beloved restaurants, cafes, and bars. Founded by CEO Danny Meyer with the opening of Union Square Cafe in 1985, the company now extends beyond the walls of its eateries. In addition to creating Shake Shack, USHG offers operational and strategic consulting, an investment fund, and runs a multifaceted catering and events business. With operations in Chicago, Las Vegas, and Washington, D.C. in addition to New York, USHG has long supported hunger relief initiatives and civic organizations within its communities. USHG holds 28 James Beard Awards and numerous accolades for its distinctive style of hospitality.
About Joe Coffee
Joe is the New York based collection of beloved and award-winning coffee bars started in 2003 by Jonathan Rubinstein and his family, and an early pioneer of the third wave coffee movement. Known for brewing the highest quality cup, always served with warm and genuine hospitality, Joe’s 14 locations in NYC and Philadelphia are places for and of the community; a home away from home for guests to perk up, gather, work, ponder and relax. Joe roasts 100% of its own beans in Red Hook, Brooklyn, and is the choice coffee purveyor of many of the country’s most esteemed restaurants and specialty grocers. Joe is steadfastly committed to education, sustainable sourcing, and its deeply rooted desire to build, maintain and strengthen community at every level from producer to customer.
