A fast-growing coffee chain known for its specialty coffee, creative matcha, and instantly recognizable mint-green aesthetic is adding another Boston outpost to its portfolio.
Brooklyn-based Blank Street Coffee is opening a new location at 874 Commonwealth Avenue on Boston University’s West Campus, according to The Daily Free Press. Signage recently appeared in the windows of the vacant storefront, which sits between Chipotle and Taco Bell.
Founded by Issam Freiha and Vinay Menda in 2020, Blank Street got its start as a small coffee cart in the garden of Wythe Diner in Brooklyn’s Williamsburg neighborhood. The brand has since grown into a national coffee chain with more than 100 locations across the United States and United Kingdom, including shops in New York, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Washington, D.C., and California.
Blank Street has become known for its colorful, often seasonal takes on classic coffeehouse favorites, particularly its flavored matcha and espresso drinks. Its compact stores are designed around quick, grab-and-go service, and the company places an emphasis on beverage presentation, ingredient sourcing, and thoughtfully designed spaces.
“For a lot of us, getting a coffee or matcha is the most important part of the day,” reads the company’s website. “It’s a moment of respite, a tonesetter, a break with friends. At Blank Street, we believe this moment, however brief it may be, should feel extraordinary. We are continuously seeking to raise the bar on quality, design, and experience. Every choice we make, from each individual store’s design, to ingredient sourcing, to our beverage presentation, and our Insiders program, is in service of creating an experience for our customers that is worth traveling for day after day.”
At the new Commonwealth Avenue location, customers can expect Blank Street’s familiar lineup of espresso drinks alongside its rotating selection of seasonal beverages. The fall 2026 menu, for example, includes Cinnamon Bun and Harvest Chai lattes and matcha. The shop also offers a small selection of pastries, such as banana bread and almond croissants.
Once open, the Boston University location will join 11 other Blank Street shops across Massachusetts. The company already has locations in Boston’s Back Bay, Downtown Crossing, Allston, and The Hub on Causeway, as well as in Wellesley, Brookline, South Boston, and Cambridge.
Blank Street Coffee has not yet responded to What Now Boston’s requests for comment, and an official opening date for the new Commonwealth Avenue café has not been announced.
