Perk Coffee is looking to add its third location this fall. It has taken a lease for a 600-square-foot space at 135 East 63rd Street in Lenox Hill. The space was formerly a picture frame shop.
“That part of New York is about 180 years old and has a lot of rich history,” owner J.B. Yowell told What Now New York. “It has a lot of strong New Yorkers who need great coffee, and we’d love to be part of their everyday lives.”
Perk Coffee launched in 2013, and Yowell later discovered the brand and decided to purchase it. The new location in Lenox Hill comes as Yowell walks the company through a rebrand that will center the company around the idea of inspiration.
“Because I’m an artist and I love the art, we decided to ask ourselves what coffee means to us,” Yowell said. “Coffee means inspiration. Our brand is all about how we can inspire.”
Yowell has a diverse portfolio of interests and businesses. He owns ALG Holdings, which has business holdings in pizzerias, comedy clubs, and oil and gas. He is also an avid supporter of the arts, and he himself is an actor. Through Perk Coffee, he hopes to encourage people to do what they love.
“We want to inspire people to chase their dreams,” Yowell said. “When you’re drinking a cup of coffee, you’re thinking and it motivates you. So our coffee is a good start to the day.”
The new shop will have a well-lit, warm interior with white countertops, red walls and artwork. It will reflect the new red, white and black color scheme, and it will offer Perk Coffee’s full selection of handcrafted drinks, as well as coffee beans for purchase.
He wants the space to be creative and welcoming.
“When you come in, you can expect to be greeted and have people smiling and shaking your hand and asking: What inspires you? What are your dreams?” Yowell said.
The spot in Lenox Hill is expected to open around the end of October. Eventually, Yowell hopes to grow the brand in New York City and beyond.
“We’ll keep going until we can’t,” he said.
