Ken Nye opened the first shop on Avenue C in 2001, in the quiet week between the holidays. For the first couple of weeks the cash register stayed off while the team made coffee for anyone who stopped by.
A second East Village shop followed on East 10th Street in 2007. The roastery in Long Island City opened in 2022, with a cafe added in February 2023, the first time Ninth Street roasted and served under one roof. A Diedrich IR12 does the roasting, with green coffee from long-trusted suppliers including Daterra in Brazil.