Toby’s Estate Coffee opened its second Brooklyn location last Tuesday in a sun-filled space on Wilson Avenue near the Morgan L station. Construction issues delayed the store’s opening, which included restoration of vintage espresso machines. The staff was thrilled by the recent announcement that the L will remain open, as much of the morning traffic has come from commuters headed into Manhattan.
The cashless cafe and roastery offers a menu of egg sandwiches, bowls, and sandwiches until 3 p.m., plus a wide selection of coffee, espresso drinks, and teas. Open daily from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Toby’s offers WiFi and retails brewing equipment from Saint Anthony Industries, a Salt Lake City-based company that manager Kase Sauvage explained, “we’ve all been following on Instagram forever.”
As the sun rises and sets and filters through the skylight, the 40 seat space changes throughout the day and the smell of coffee permeates the air. There are thoughtful details everywhere: wall mounted succulents, moss on the wall from East Olivia, and the lights turn to amber as afternoon sets in. Toby’s Estate opened in 2012 and currently has locations in Williamsburg, the West Village, Long Island City, Flatiron (closing soon and relocating nearby), and Midtown East.
For Bushwick residents, Toby’s is a specialty coffee option with room for lingering. The food options aren’t cheap (a bacon, egg and cheese is $9.95), but for a morning coffee treat, the quality is worth a splurge, especially an espresso pulled in the La Marzocco Strada AV espresso machine. For those looking to try different beans, there will be a rotating single origin pour over. Look out for a barista favorite from Colombia next month. For a sweet treat, there are pastries from local spots like vegan bakery Sans, Ovenly and Supermoon Bakehouse. The staff is friendly and the lines move well during a rush.
Toby’s is obsessive about bean quality and freshness—their sourcing team travels around the world developing relationships with farm partners in Brazil, Ethiopia, Colombia, and Costa Rica. The Bushwick location specifically will roast the cafe’s signature Brooklyn Blend, which is also popular with wholesale customers including Google. The Bushwick location will double the chain’s production capacity.
“We look forward to further planting our Brooklyn roots in the great Bushwick neighborhood, and continuing to provide its cafés, retail coffee customers, and wholesale partners with the exceptional specialty coffee they have grown to love,” said co-owners Amber Jacobsen and Adam Boyd.
Photos by Molly Tavoletti
Toby’s Estate Bushwick
Specialty coffee open daily, 7:00 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Kitchen open until 3 p.m.
See the menu and follow on Instagram.