Field Study Coffee Introduces Reservation-Only Service in Brooklyn

At the new Field Study Coffee bar in East Williamsburg, Brooklyn. All images courtesy of Field Study Coffee.

Shifting from regular cafe service toward a slower, more deliberate approach, Brooklyn, New York-based Field Study Coffee is now serving customers at its East Williamsburg coffee bar strictly by reservation.

After a brief closure to refine its menu and service plan in the space shared with collector car showroom Car Part Time, the multiroaster cafe is reopening this month while also introducing house-roasted coffees.

“We found that slowing the pace of service lets us spend more time with each guest and better share the stories behind the coffees we’re serving,” Field Study Coffee Co-Founder and Roaster Norberto Peña told Daily Coffee News.

Guests can book one-hour coffee experiences online, choosing drinks from the regular menu or reserving seats for coffee omakase and guided tastings.

“As we got busier, we realized our favorite moments were when we could slow down and spend real time with each guest,” Peña said, reiterating that the new focus is on a “more intentional experience rather than trying to maximize volume.”

Field Study operates on its own hours inside the Car Part Time showroom. The space features concrete floors and walls, a high exposed-rafter ceiling and a garage door with windows.

Generous skylights allow sunlight to glint off the steel case of a La Marzocco GS3 single-group machine stationed alongside a Decent Espresso machine on the smooth stone bar.

“The two espresso machines serve different purposes,” Peña told DCN. “On the GS3 we pull more traditional straight 6-bar shots that emphasize sweetness and balance. On the Decent we primarily emulate a Slayer-style pressure profile, which gives us more control over extraction for coffees that benefit from a longer, lower-pressure pre-infusion.”

Option-O Lagom P100 single-dose grinders equipped with Mizen burrs and SSP High Uniformity burrs are used for espresso and filter coffees, respectively. Filter coffees are brewed exclusively on Hario V60 Neo drippers paired with Hario Switch valved bases.

“We intentionally don’t offer batch brew,” Peña said. “Every coffee is brewed to order so we can tailor the recipe to the coffee.”

Peña, who is also the founder and owner of Bushwick-based nano-roaster Obscure Coffee, is one of four experienced Brooklyn specialty coffee figures running the shop. Leeor Waisbrod, co-founder of multiroaster Three Legged Cat, is another partner. Former Three Legged Cat barista Bobby Marchione and 2024 U.S. AeroPress Champion Danny Toro round out the ownership team.

Depending on volume, Peña roasts for Field Study on either the same Loring S15 Falcon he uses for Obscure or a shared 1-kilogram Aillio Bullet. Field Study’s inaugural offerings were both from Colombian producer Diego Bermúdez.

A “thermal shock” washed-process Caturra Chiroso is prepared as espresso, while Bermúdez’s Gesha Luna is served as both espresso and pourover.

“The roasting philosophy is centered on transparency and expression,” Peña said. “Rather than applying a consistent house style, each coffee is developed individually to best highlight its inherent character, allowing the variety, processing and producer to remain at the forefront. Alongside our own roasting, we’ll continue featuring exceptional coffees from roasters around the world whose work we admire.”

As the reservation model settles in, Field Study plans to develop new guided tasting experiences, source rare coffees through direct relationships with producers and grow its roasting program.

“Our focus is on continuing to refine the experience rather than simply getting bigger,” Peña said. “If Field Study evolves, it’ll be because we found ways to deepen the experience, not because we wanted to serve more people faster.”

Field Study Coffee is located at 904 Grand St. in Brooklyn.

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