Bushwick and Bed-Stuy residents off of the Kosciuszko stop on the J train have a new spot to swing by for a cup of coffee on the way to the train in the morning. On the first of this month, a tiny, lovingly operated new cafe called Hearts Coffee opened its doors at 1207 Broadway at Van Buren Street.
Hearts proprietors, fiances Carlos Larkin and Kim Ross, are Bushwick residents for the better part of the past decade. For the past four years, they’ve lived around the corner from the spot that is now their shop; they know their neighbors and neighborhood well.
Ross was on espresso bar on a recent sunny weekday morning, pulling shots using Brooklyn Roasting Company coffee beans on the house’s gleaming La Marzocco espresso machine and pouring beautiful latte art. Ross got her start in the business at her mother’s coffee shop, and her passion for the business is palpable.
In addition to the coffee, sweet and savory pastries from Colson’s bakery in Park Slope and tea from local company Tea Pigs are also on offer. The shop will soon have juices; Larkin and Ross also hope to bring in a standing fridge with salads and yogurt soon, and will also eventually serve pressed sandwiches. They’re open to suggestions for other offerings, too.
The shop, located on the ground floor of a tiny three story building, is minimalist, but cozy. Morning sunlight pours in through the big front windows, where a few stools stand at a bar. The decor is mostly just an abstract geometric mural by local artist Monica Wynn and a pink neon heart behind the blond wood counter.
Larkin and Ross tried to keep their pricing down as they worked on the menu to make shop accessible to all of their neighbors, old and new. Since the coffee offerings near their shop are fairly limited (Broadway coffee shops Jubilee and Athom are among recent business closures in the area), the spot seems well-positioned to become an essential local business.
Stop by for a cup of coffee made with a lot of heart!
1207 Broadway at Van Buren Street (off of the Kosciuszko stop on the J train).