New York · United States
Birch Coffee
Birch Coffee is one of 3 New York roasters tracked on day9, in NY.
Since 2009 · Jeremy Lyman, Paul Schlader
Overview
Birch was founded in 2009 by Jeremy Lyman and Paul Schlader, who met in a 12-step program in 2005 and opened the first store with roughly $10,000 — much of it from Lyman cashing his bar mitzvah savings bond early. Schlader is a certified Q grader and runs sourcing and roasting; Lyman leads operations and design. The company opened on the assumption that hospitality matters more than coffee credentials, and the original shop's no-Wi-Fi policy and "Ignition Initiative" conversation cards have remained part of the brand identity through the company's growth to roughly a dozen New York shops plus a Long Island City roastery.
Known for
- Founders met in a 12-step program in 2005 and opened with $10K including Lyman's prematurely cashed bar mitzvah bond
- No-Wi-Fi policy across all stores to encourage conversation
- 4,000-square-foot roastery in Long Island City
- "Bully Blend" — 100% of profits go to pitbull rescue (Muddy Paws NYC and Angel City Pit Bulls LA)
- Filled the New York gap between Starbucks and pour-over destinations like Stumptown and Ninth Street Espresso
Why it matters
Built on the explicit thesis that everyday New Yorkers wanted good coffee without third-wave snobbery — and proved the gap between commodity and connoisseur was wider than the specialty industry assumed.
Production
- head roaster
- Paul Schlader
- roastery location
- Long Island City, NY (4,000 sq ft)
Café
This roaster operates a café.