A brand-new coffee shop is currently coming to Brooklyn from all the way across the country.
Montage Coffee and Wine is a new cafe concept that is currently getting ready to launch its first-ever expansion in Bed Stuy. The cafe was established by founders Symone Lucero and Candace Orwat, all the way in Albuquerque, New Mexico in 2019. The two best friends grew up attending book clubs at various cafes with their mothers and always dreamt of one day establishing a space of their own where they could provide the same experience for other people. Before moving away for college, the two promised each other to one day return and open up their dream coffee shop together before they turned 30.
Eventually, the two were able to make their way back to New Mexico, where they worked their way up and pooled their savings together, eventually founding Montage as a tribute to their love of travel and film. Driven by their hope to create a safe space for all people, Symone and Candace set out to use their new cafe to inspire people to create montages of their own.
Now though, Symone and Candace are moving all the way across the country to develop a brand-new expansion in Brooklyn. The two have just acquired the lease to the space at 210 Patchen Avenue in Bed Stuy, where they intend to launch Montage’s first New York expansion. Inspired by their origins in Albuquerque, Montage will offer made-in-house pastries like green chile croissants and will operate as a bar at night, placing special emphasis on booze-free cocktails, pop-ups, and other events.
The space at 210 Patchen Avenue was previously home to Cafe Tulum, a popular Brazilian restaurant that was operating successfully before owner Sid Matos was suddenly evicted for many months of unpaid rent. According to staff, Matos kept the information hidden and fled to Brazil a month before being evicted and currently owes his workers over $7,000 in unpaid wages. Matos has remained evasive and unresponsive since fleeing, so the staff have set up a fundraising account to help support struggling workers. Readers can find the link to the fundraiser here, and all proceeds will go directly to the staff who were most affected by Tucum’s sudden closure.
Thankfully, the arrival of Montage should bring in new opportunities for employment and community support. According to Instagram, the team is hoping to have the space operational by Spring 2023. If you’d like to follow along with Symone and Candace as they continue to develop the new space, you can follow Montage’s Brooklyn Instagram page for regular updates.
