Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Food
That and $12 Will Get You a Cup of Coffee
By
John Del Signore
Published May 3, 2010
Modified May 3, 2010
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
John Del Signore
Published May 3, 2010
Modified May 3, 2010
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Though we detect notes of pretentious bullshit, the baristas at Cafe Grumpy in Chelsea insist their new $12 cup of coffee is worth every penny. The Ethiopian Nekisse beans, which are roasted on site, are brewed with the ultra sophisticated $11,000 Clover machine, and according to one staffer named Jeremy, the result is "more subtle than coffee made from other Ethiopian beans, and is not overbearingly fruity." But will anyone buy it?
So far, the answer is no, but they only introduced the Cadillac of coffees today. Contrary to what the Post reports, it is only on the menu (so far) at the Manhattan Grumpy, not in Greenpoint or Park Slope. Steve Holt, vice president of Ninety Plus Coffee, the company distributing the beans, tells the tabloid that the coffee is so expensive because "you have to take a lot of time developing and processing it. Once the coffee is harvested, it is dried on a raised African drying bed—the actual coffee cherries never sit on the ground." The result is "a cacophony of nuances."
And any big spender who orders this cup of cacophony will be strongly encouraged to drink it black. "As soon as you add milk and sugar to this, you lose a lot of the nuance," explains Grumpy's coffee buyer Colleen Duhamel. "People have had bad reactions to the prices," she adds. "They will think, 'This place isn't for me,' and storm out." Or as one non-coffee drinker from Brooklyn tells us, "What kind of mofo retard pays $12 for coffee? Maybe this is why people keep trying to car bomb us." And Cafe Grumpy regular Billy Parker tell us, "This might put the free coffee punch card to the test."
Tagged
$12
cafe grumpy
coffee
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE food
North African restaurants are rare in NYC. These 10 are the best.
Egyptian, Moroccan, Algerian and Tunisian food is delicious but underrepresented in the city.
By
Robert Sietsema
Published Oct 10, 2026
10 dishes that demonstrate the delicious diversity of curry in New York City
The global dish is shapeshifting and ubiquitous.
By
Robert Sietsema
Food
10 dishes that demonstrate the delicious diversity of curry in New York City
The global dish is shapeshifting and ubiquitous.
By
Robert Sietsema
Frozen yogurt is back in New York City. So are the super long lines.
By
Sonia Rao
5 NYC banana puddings as good as Magnolia's
By
Hannah Frishberg
Where to eat in Greenpoint, Brooklyn right now, from Polish to Sichuan to Iberian
By
Robert Sietsema
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .