(Google Maps, July 2022)
“Upper East Siders, after 12 wonderful years together, it’s with a heavy heart we share that our lease has come to an end and we’ve closed our shop on Lexington Avenue,” Joe Coffee Company wrote on Instagram Friday, while adding that it’s on the lookout for a new location on the Upper East Side.
Advertisement
The space at 1045 Lexington Avenue (between 74th and 75th streets) was previously home to Checks, Etc., as shown in this Eater article from 2011 announcing the news that Joe Coffee would be taking over the space.
(Google Maps, May 2009)
Joe Coffee Company was founded in 2003 by Jonathan Rubinstein, with its first location in Greenwich Village. Today, there are more than twenty locations throughout the boroughs, though this was the only spot on the UES. The closest locations can be found at Grand Central Station and on the Upper West Side.
The New York coffee chain concluded the announcement of its UES closure with a quote from what must be their most intensely passionate customer.
“In the words of one of our regulars, ‘We know that all good things must come to an end. And Joe, you sure have been a good thing. Our gratitude to you is eternal. You have changed our lives and touched our hearts one coffee at a time. We love you, Joe Coffee, 1045 Lexington Avenue, and we will miss you.'”
We’ve reached out to Joe Coffee Company to ask why they decided not to renew their lease. We’ll provide an update if and when we learn more.
Maybe we have finally reached saturation on the UES.