Small Brooklyn Roaster Says Scene Lacks Sex Appeal and Class

A small-batch Brooklyn, New York-based coffee roaster would like to see a little more “sexy” and “class” in New York’s coffee scene.

In a recent interview with DNAinfo.com, Todd Broockerd, the co-owner of 5-year-old Kitten Coffee, which roasts 25-pound batches of Brazilian beans for retail and restaurant clients throughout New York, doesn’t pull punches when describing how some of the country’s leading artisan roasters have affected the coffee experience.

“In Williamsburg, you can’t throw a rock without hitting a coffee roaster,” he told DNAinfo. “The Stumptowns and the Counter Cultures, they’re about tattoos and ratty t-shirts. We want to inject more class into the scene.”

Broockerd comments on cafe culture, as well, noting social differences in the way Americans consume coffee, compared to most Europeans.

“We want to inject a bit more sex into the coffee scene,” he told reporter Sonja Sharp. “In places like Milan, and Melbourne, Australia, the coffee shop is like a bar. Here it’s a place for people to go get on their laptops — no one talks to each other.”

The full interview: DNAinfo.com