The charming
Taszo cafe debuted west of Broadway and 157th Street just months ago and now a chain coffee shop has opened directly next door. Caffe Bene has locations all over midtown and would seem more suited to the Broadway or FDB corridor but somehow has decided to open up next to a favorite coffee spot in a quiet section of the neighborhood on the cusp of Hamilton Heights. This is an odd choice also for the owner of the building because clearly two coffee shops right next door to one another does not make any business sense as far as a business plan goes. Caffe Bene is not a bad commercial chain and provides something more different than the average Starbucks but we would rather stick to the local guy if we had to choose:
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I don't get it-Bene is really dreadful. Everything is shrink wrapped and pre-packed. The employees wear these cartoonish aprons in an attempt to look "homey" , it's overly bright and looks like it belongs in a mall food court. TASZO, on the other hand, has fresh pastries from Balthazaar, amazing coffees and teas, often has live JAzz, features local artists on their walls. The owner has created a lovely, welcoming spot that we all love. A class act all the way. Just waiting for Bene to wither up and go away, and maybe someone will open a sweet little cafe there instead.
ReplyDeleteI will stick to Taszo's too.
ReplyDelete"Taszo"... Hmmm?
ReplyDeleteI wonder if it's the same owner as Wild Olive on 125th?