The Matte Black Latte of espresso, cacao and coconut ash brought national attention in 2017, two years after Ockhyeon Byeon, who worked as a barista in Florence, opened the first Round K on Allen Street. He roasts in a Brooklyn garage on a restored 5-kilogram Imex, an electric roaster from South Korea that he found at a coffee convention. Green coffee comes through Cereza Coffee, with seasonal lots from independent farm connections, including one in Huehuetenango, Guatemala.
Allen Street closed during the pandemic, and the name carried on at 78 Canal Street as Round K by Sol. After a renovation it reopened there as Round K. A white cabinet of stacked hi-fi speakers stands near the front, record sleeves sit above shelves of bagged coffee on the brick wall, and a backyard lies behind.
