Rich, satsifying, aromatic coffee is the new must-have amenity at apartment buildings trying to differentiate themselves from the average joes.
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If coffee lovers’ cups are running over with social opportunities at newer luxury apartment buildings, it could be the result of a popular trend brewing in upscale perks.
Last year, the National Coffee Association reported the number of Americans drinking at least a cup of coffee daily reached its highest level since 2012. That may be why coffee is seen as the new must-have amenity at the nation’s residential buildings, especially upscale ones.
Developers are taking a shot at giving first-floor lobbies and amenity spaces a variety of innovatively designed coffee bars dispensing both for-purchase and complimentary brews to satisfy their java-jonesing residents. These gourmet coffee bars and lounges not only serve as places to indulge a quick caffeine fix from servings of coffee or tea. They’re also settings for meetings, for co-working and for informal gatherings among neighbors and friends.
Just as good
Summit NYC is a Midtown East community featuring a coffee bar in its grand lobby. The bar incorporates a high-tech, trailblazing, app-controlled coffee brewer called Scanomat. The graceful, swan-like tap on the brewer blends well with the building interior’s stylish design.
“Our residents, like most New Yorkers, demand the best, and are always busy and on the go,” says Lloyd Goldman, president BLDG Management. “We chose Scanomat for its great taste and ease of use. Our residents can not only save time, but they’re able get a coffee or a cappuccino that is just as good as, if not better than, a coffee from any other popular shop in the city.”
Designed by Hill West Architects, Chelsea29 in New York City’s Chelsea enclave is another Manhattan building that encourages good times to flow around a coffee bar. The community’s “lifestyle lobby” incorporates a Ninth Street Espresso open to both public and the building’s residents. In addition to Chelsea29’s resident lounge and roof terrace and the nearby High Line linear park, it provides yet another space for folks to gather.
Meantime, at Miami’s Turnberry Ocean Club, residents count among their building’s benefits the chance to enjoy an exclusive, barista-staffed, off-the-lobby coffee lounge, serving up free-flowing coffees and teas. Residents are likely to be energized by both the caffeine and inspiring views of the Atlantic Ocean, which the residential community overlooks.
“The purpose of Turnberry Ocean Club’s coffee lounge is to serve as an extension of the grand lobby, offering an indoor-outdoor lounge that not only encourages community but also serves as a space for casual meetings and work remote,” said Dan Riordan, president of residential development for Fountainbleau Development. “We want residents to feel as every corner of the property is a piece of their intimate home by serving a variety of homemade-like artisanal coffee and tea selections.”
Meant to be shared
Miami being a locale where Cuban coffee produces many enthusiasts, South Florida developer Swire Properties, Inc. included a cafe shop in its residential tower Rise at mixed-use development Brickell City Centre.
Exclusive to residents, the cafe dispenses baked goods and a spectrum of vegan, organic and non-GMO products along with fresh cortaditos and coladas.
“Swire prioritized creating public spaces and amenities that allow Brickell City Centre’s residents to feel at ease and add convenience to their daily routines,” says Maile Aguila, senior vice president of residential sales for Swire Properties, Inc. “With Miami being one of the top cities for coffee lovers, we wanted to embrace the local culture and bring a cafe shop to Rise Residence to create an-the-go spot for our residents to share quality time with neighbors and loved ones, as well as enjoy the city’s staples, cortaditos and coladas and pastries from a local bakery, all without ever leaving home.”