WatchHouse, a chain of contemporary coffee bars, is opening its second U.S. location in New York City’s Chrysler Building. The brand focuses on serving quality coffees in historically important locations in communities across the U.K. and the U.S. The first U.S. location of WatchHouse opened earlier this year at 660 Fifth Avenue.
“To be able to open our first-ever location in the United States on iconic Fifth Avenue in New York City has been beyond exciting,” said WatchHouse’s CEO and founder Roland Horne in an email Q&A with What Now NY. “We started back in 2014, in a tiny spot (just 266 square feet) on Bermondsey Street, London. This spot, once a hideout for watchmen keeping an eye on St Mary Magdalen’s Church, became our namesake and the birthplace of our ‘Modern Coffee’ experience.”
WatchHouse has an extensive menu of specialty coffee made from internationally sourced beans. WatchHouse also offers a curated selection of grab & go breakfast items, a selection of baked goods, and lunch options.
According to TimeOut, this new location of WatchHouse will occupy a 2,000-square-foot space on the ground floor of the Chrysler building. They also reported that WatchHouse will be adding a cocktail menu for the evenings starting in June.
“Since 2014, we’ve grown from that little Bermondsey spot to 18 Houses across Central London and Bath, and soon, two Houses in the U.S.,” said Horne. “Our first location on Fifth Avenue has kicked off with a bang and we’re so grateful for the warm welcome from New York City residents and tourists. Meanwhile, we’ve already signed the lease for a ground floor location within the iconic Chrysler Building to open up this fall, and have plans for more openings soon.”
According to World Coffee Portal, WatchHouse launched a crowdfunding initiative in 2022 to support its plans to grow to 500 outlets by 2030.
“The Chrysler Building is an iconic landmark not only in New York City, but globally, and we couldn’t be more proud to call one of the most recognizable buildings in the world a home for our brand,” said Horne. “We believe working with the Chrysler Building to support our U.S. expansion of WatchHouse will be special for both NYC visitors and locals, drawing in crowds who appreciate history, architecture, and a taste for the finer things in life, just like we do.”
A representative for WatchHouse confirmed early construction in the Chrysler Building space is underway. WatchHouse hopes to open this second U.S. location this fall.
