Friend of a Farmer Partners with Devoción to Debut Signature Coffee: Farmer’s Blend

Something’s brewing in Brooklyn! Friend of a Farmer, the pioneering farm-to-table comfort food capital, is launching its own signature coffee, Farmer’s Blend. Indicative that Friend of a Farmer is continuing to grow both as a restaurant, now with two locations—Gramercy and Brooklyn Heights—and brand, the blend was created through a partnership with Devoción, a “farm to cup” roaster in Williamsburg.

Friend of a Farmer Director of Operations Taylor Morabito and Assistant Director of Operations Weston Morabito, brothers whose mother Carrie founded the restaurant as a 6-table café more than 30 years ago, worked hand in hand with the Devoción team to create a signature coffee blend that would pair well with their most popular pancakes and omelets. The result is a fruit-forward coffee with notes of honey and caramel.

“We look forward to adding Farmer’s Blend to our roster of seasonally fresh and local offerings,” said Taylor Morabito. “Our customers love and have come to rely on our commitment to working with small farms so partnering with a brand that shares this sentiment is truly important to us.”

Devoción is known for working closely with Colombia farms to source high quality beans, which are dry-milled and shipped just 10 days after “green” for immediate roasting in Brooklyn, guaranteeing ultra-fresh coffee. Friend of a Farmer receives the beans a day after they’re roasted at Devoción’s nearby shop and grinds them on site.

The new coffee blend keeps with Friend of a Farmer’s mantra to stay local. While the original Gramercy location has been doing this for over three decades, Friend of a Farmer continues to grow its brand, recently opening in the bustling and historic neighborhood of Brooklyn Heights. The restaurant is a two-story townhouse complete with multiple fireplaces, an outdoor terrace and tables/décor that co-owner Terry Morabito crafted himself. The menu changes with the season but signature dishes include Old-Fashioned Chicken Pot Pie, Braised Beef Short Rib and the Terry Allan Chicken. The cocktail menu is no exception, focusing on spirits distilled in Brooklyn and upstate New York, housemade infusions and drinks made with locally sourced produce.

“While we’re a family business that has been around for years, we are constantly looking for ways to stay innovative in the marketplace,” added Weston Morabito. “We are excited to get one step closer to launching our retail line.”

Farmer’s Blend French Press coffee service has begun at both the recently opened Brooklyn Heights location (76 Montague Street) and the original Gramercy restaurant (77 Irving Place). Prices are $4.50 for a small French Press, $9 for large. This spring, Friend of a Farmer will retail 12oz and 5lb Farmer’s Blend with special branded bags at both restaurant locations and online at friendofafarmer.com.

About Friend of a Farmer:
Since 1986, Friend of a Farmer has been a pioneer in the farm-to-table movement, creating a reputation for seasonally fresh and local ingredients in a warm atmosphere with fireplaces and hand-built wooden columns, tables and light fixtures. Classic Americana fare executed to perfection is the draw. Breads, pastries and pies are all baked on site highlighting seasonal produce from nearby farms, while juices for specialty cocktails are pressed in house. All meat served is locally sourced and free-range; beef is grass-fed. The original Gramercy location (77 Irving Place) was opened by Carrie Morabito over 30 years ago. She has since gotten the whole family involved and opened a Brooklyn Heights location in late 2015 (76 Montague Street).