When Jamie Rogers decided to open a coffee business in Midtown, he knew it had to be different from his existing business, Pushcart Coffee on West 25th Street. He explained to me that Pushcart, which opened in 2011, works perfectly for where it is and what it is meant to be: a neighborhood coffee shop where locals can meet and relax. “We’ve done the neighborhood coffee shop well,” he said proudly. Midtown, however, lacks the environment that defines Chelsea and Gramercy, Pushcart’s two homes. Instead, it is a place that people pass through, where people are always on the go, and where everything has to be fast. Jamie recognized this, and so he opened Bustler Coffee in 2015. “This is meant to be New York’s coffee shop: it moves at the speed of New York.”
Bustler has done away with the long lines that often define coffee shops in the morning. Instead, Bustler is set up to allow customers to weave through the space, stopping at different stations while designing their drinks. Having removed the middleman inherent in a “cashier to barista to customer” system, the process appears to flow smoothly. As Jamie pointed out, the customer is the barista. “People are more likely to make a drink the way they like it if they make it themselves.”
This does not mean that customers are left to their own devices when they enter Bustler, adrift and clueless. Rather, the staff is on hand to guide each person through the process. The question each staff member is focused on is “How can we help you make the drink you are picturing in your head?” Usually this concept transcends the terms used in modern coffee shops. For example, Jamie told me that “macchiato” can mean very different things depending on where you are. Instead, Bustler focuses on what flavor and type of drink visitors would like. Customers are encouraged to interact with the staff as little or as much as they wish, as the goal is that after a few visits, they will become a master at making their drink of choice. Those who choose to chat with employees, however, often have a more enriching experience than they would in a normal sale environment, Jamie claimed. He added, “You can have a conversation in a much more fluid and dynamic way than if there were a counter between you.” At the end of the process, staff use handheld Point of Sale machines, further eliminating any need for lines. Additionally, Bustler works with Perka, an online electronic punch card that can hold credit card information and make for swift, easy transactions.
As Jamie guided me around the floor, he showed me the iced section, the row of natural syrups made in Pushcart’s Brooklyn bakery, the milks and creams on tap (including nondairy options) and the rotating single origin coffees. He then emphasized Bustler's direct trade with farmers in Nicaragua and Columbia. The Pushcart green buyer and coffee roaster have spent time in these countries to ensure a high quality product. There are espresso machines, located at the far end of the store, and for those who do not drink coffee, there is a wide selection of teas, specifically made for Bustler by Brew Lab. In addition, Jamie has coffee- and fruit-based iced drinks. He said with a wry grin, “We needed blended ice drinks if we were going to compete with Starbucks.” There is a nice selection of food items as well - from traditional breakfast pastries to vegan soup and empanadas.
Olivia, a member of the Manhattan Sideways team, was eager to meet the challenge of creating her own drink. With Jamie as her guide, she built her own chai tea latte. He led her to the chai syrup and then gave her advice as to how much steamed milk to use. Proudly, she admitted that the result was a drink with the perfect level of sweetness. We could see how easy it would be to become an expert at making one's own drink.
After finishing up her cup of tea, Jamie mentioned to Olivia and me that while he has noticed the coffee shop becoming busier, it does not ever feel busy, thanks to the way it is set up. "Bustler is ergonomically efficient, aesthetically pleasing, and produces good quality coffee.”
