The Co-Op on Atlantic

The Co-Op on Atlantic joined the neighborhood's coffee shop collection about three months ago. Since I moved a few blocks away in February, I hadn't noticed the new space until recently. The location, a gorgeous antique space at 139 Atlantic Avenue (btwn. Henry and Clinton) had been vacant for a long while so I when I saw the sandwich board out front I immediately went inside to check it out.

The Co-Op is unique, it's not just a coffee shop, the space serves as a facility that is being developed as a resource for all kinds of vendors. Everything in the space is for sale (except the espresso machine) and includes vintage furniture (which also doubles as cafe furniture), armoires filled with clothes, and shelves stocked with flower teas and locally produced groceries like McClure’s Pickles and Early Bird granola.

The coffee comes to us from Crop to Cup, quality family farmed coffee (Uganda-grown, Brooklyn-roasted beans) which until now, had only been sold at the Brooklyn Flea. It's a pretty amazing organization who maintains that "one pound of Crop to Cup coffee provides a 20% increase in farmer wages and a 55% increase in overall community benefit." If you check out their website you can learn more about this progressive organization.

The scrumptious baked goods are all baked in-house from scratch and are branded "Bread Meats Bread." Some yummy selections include gruyere croissants and strawberry-rhubarb muffins. They also make savory sandwiches for lunchtime and offer combos like the "Sunrise Combo" for $4, a bagel with cream cheese and a medium coffee, and for the summer months the "Park Combo" for $10, an organic sandwich and iced coffee. And for dessert you can also pick up a mini cupcake from the famous Kumquat Cupcakery.

It will also be a delivery spot for people who sign up for Basis’ Good Food To You drop-off program, a weekly service that delivers locally sourced fruit, produce, meat, and dairy. Their website states that they deliver "100% traceable food directly from family farms to your home or office at prices that are often lower than commodity fare at the supermarket."

There's also talk about community dinners and classes to be held in the space as well. As it is only a few months old, I look forward to the future of the Co-Op. I think we have a lot to look forward to. Pretty cool stuff. I'm sold.