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The Upper East Side is going to smell a lot more like freshly ground Arabica.
Eataly Caffè is just about to launch its third new quick-service concept, landing at 1122 Lexington Avenue by 78th Street on December 10 at 3pm. It’s the latest step in the Italian food empire's citywide caffeine takeover, following the summer debuts of Rockefeller Center and Hudson Yards locations, both of which have been packed since day one.
The new 3,900-square-foot space seats 43 people and is meant to feel like the kind of coffee shop you’d stumble into in Milan or Rome, only with a bit more Upper East Side polish. Doors will open daily from 7am to 9pm, pouring drinks made with Eataly’s own Arabica beans. The rest of the menu is full of Italian comfort food: sweet and savory pastries, gelato for year-round dessert loyalists and pizza alla pala, the long slabs that you usually find on the streets of Rome. Because this is the Upper East Side, grab-and-go is also a big part of the plan. Fridges will be stocked with salads, ready-to-eat meals and other items clearly meant for commuters and locals.
Tommaso Brusò, CEO of Eataly North America, said the warm reception to the first two locations made the next move obvious, as Eataly marks its 15th anniversary in New York. “In the span of a few months, we’ve seen how New Yorkers have come to enthusiastically embrace this new concept, with an incredible response to our first caffè locations at Rockefeller Center and Hudson Yards,” he said in an official statement.
This will also be Eataly’s 20th location in North America and one of more than 60 worldwide, part of an expansion wave supported by Investindustrial, the majority owner. As a little welcome-to-the-neighborhood gift, the caffè will hand out complimentary hot chocolate to first-time guests through December 14, a perk tailor-made for early winter on Lex.