Just weeks after Tiny Cup closed its doors, the popular neighborhood coffee shop on 279 Nostrand Ave. has re-opened and been given a Southern makeover.
New Brooklyn resident Amber Arthur has taken over the business, which has been open again since last week, and brings a vast wealth of coffee knowledge with her. As of the owner of Izzy's Coffee Den in Asheville, NC, her shop was voted as having the best coffee in the state.
"I had been wanting to expand to Brooklyn for a while," said Arthur, who made the move to Brooklyn with several of her follow employees from Asheville, all of whom now work at Tiny Cup. "We heard about the space being open through a friend, and the idea of not having to deal with permits and construction and everything else sounded amazing."
The quick turnaround--Arthur moved to Brooklyn and began renovating the space just six weeks ago, was far more difficult than she initially anticipated.
"We thought we would just be able to open the store up as it was, but after the former owner (Lisa Bayer) moved out, the health department shut it down and we had to work with them in order to get everything up to code," said Arthur.
The end result is a more limited food menu, but the new Tiny Cup more than makes up for it with a strong selection of Southern cuisine. Buttermilk biscuits with apple butter, pimento cheese, and a range of vegan friendly dishes are just some of the items available now.
In addition, all their coffee is fair trade and organic, and the take-out boxes are environmentally friendly.
Between the hectic opening and finding a new apartment in Bushwick, Arthur said she hasn't gotten to explore her new surroundings as much as she would like, but has been impressed with what she has seen so far.
"To be honest, all I've really been doing is working at this point, but everybody who has come through here has been so incredibly nice," said Arthur. "I know that I'll be able to explore more of the area soon though."
The re-launching of Tiny Cup has seen overwhelmingly positive reviews from people who have come through.
"I'm so glad that Tiny Cup is back in business," said Bed-Stuy resident Katherine Woerle, as she ate a bowl of their vegan chili. "It's such a great space and I actually think the coffee and food is even better than it was before."
Although Arthur had initially planned for the store to be an expansion of Izzy's Coffee Den, she said the plan now is to keep the name as it is.
"I formed a great relationship with Lisa and would like to honor the store and keep it as it is," said Arthur. "Tiny Cup has a reputation for being a comfortable and inviting place for everyone in the community, and I'd love for it to remain that way."
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