Yet another new coffeeshop has opened in Greenpoint! 99 Franklin, named for its address, soft opened this past weekend, offering espresso drinks and a ciabatta sandwich menu with breakfast and lunch options.
Formerly the home of Pip Squeak Chapeau, which closed in 2020, 99 Franklin has been reinvented into a petite coffeeshop with an outdoor parklet and a yet-to-open speakeasy-style bar, plus backyard, behind the wall of the small coffee space. Co-owned by Jimmy Collins, also the proprietor of local retailer, Belief, along with partners Alex Compton and David Ramirez, Collins and his team are excited to add to Greenpoint’s slew of welcoming local businesses, and he says he’s felt welcome by the potential competition, i.e. friendly neighbors, on both sides of the block.
99 Franklin’s opening menu offers strictly espresso-based drinks, including cocktail-inspired specials, like a Cold Brew old fashioned stirred with cream, maple syrup, and an orange twist. Italian-style breakfast sandwiches star upscale ingredients like homemade vodka sauce, truffle butter, and Mike’s Hot Honey. For lunch, sandwiches like chicken or eggplant parm, doused in vodka sauce and topped with burrata are sure to be popular at picnics in nearby Transmitter Park.
99 Franklin is currently using beans roasted in Astoria, but open to suggestions from locals of where to source their next batch of Brooklyn-roasted beans. The coffeeshop is one of many to benefit from empty storefronts and a desire for grab-and-go fare during the pandemic. Since lockdowns began, North Brooklyn has seen several stellar cafes open, including Espresso Paloma, Green Lane Coffee, Sippy Cafe, and Maison du Tsuru, to name a few.
With all that caffeine circulating the neighborhood, no wonder locals are amped up about the ongoing Open Streets debate…
Leave a comment