We were swept away by the positive and creative energy we encountered at Honey Haus, a coffee shop that has popped up in the East Village. Owners Michael and Andre spoke to us about the hands-on process of turning the space into a coffee shop - they built everything in the shop by hand. When it came to how to make and build the perfect cup of coffee to go with their beautifully handcrafted shop, Andre told us that he would describe it as “reverse engineering.” They bought the equipment for the coffee and proceeded to research the very scientific process of making sure each cup they made came out perfectly. “This is our lab,” Michael and Andre agreed. They both admitted to still being in the process of perfecting their coffee-making process, but we are so in awe of the experimental approach they took to develop their signature coffee drinks. As the former owner of a clothing store, Andre wanted to maintain the human interaction he had been able to cultivate in his old businesses and continue to foster an environment where people, music, and conversation all come together. “We are making a community from scratch,” Andre said of the goal he has for Honey Haus. With plenty of doughnuts, scones, and muffins from which to select to pair with a variety of coffee drinks, and the contagiously cheerful attitudes of Michael and Andre, we could not be more excited to revisit the community that these two have created at Honey Haus.