For the Record, an upcoming cafe selling both coffee and vintage vinyls, is set to drop the needle at 1107 Manhattan Ave this October
The idea for the shop was born out of a combination of owner Lucas Deysine’s passion for community and, to an extent, disillusionment over the current state of the hospitality industry.
“I was getting pretty sick of working for other people, and the state of the hospitality industry during last winter was pretty brutal,” Deysine admitted. “A lot of people lost the act of sitting down. All these places — for good reason — closed indoor dining and closed their indoor seating. And New York is so, so inhospitable to anyone just looking for a place to sit.”
As the cafe’s concept began to take shape, Deysine got into coffee roasting, incorporating beans from around the world. And while Greenpoint boasts countless coffee shops, the hope is that the welcoming atmosphere draws neighbors into the space.
“A lot of coffee shops — which are a great place for people that have maybe a million roommates or are unhoused — are a great place for people to just sit and think for five [minutes], 10 [minutes], an hour, two hours,” Deysine explained. “A lot of coffee shops don’t have indoor seating or the chairs are so spread about you feel weird going with more than two people. So a lot of places lost that sort of community space, the community creativity. I wanted to create a space where not only that was accepted, but you’re invited to come in. That’s the whole point of the place: to come in, listen to the same music and either work, read, talk, it really doesn’t matter. Especially in Greenpoint, it’s one of the most creative places in New York City. And to create a collaborative environment was the idea behind opening and opening here.”
When it comes to records, the cafe aims to break gatekeeping stereotypes about the vinyl community by offering a wide range of music to anyone who walks through the door. Cross-genre vinyls are sourced from Deysine’s personal collection as well as found gems on eBay and collection buyouts from others looking to sell.
“It’s kind of like putting everything on shuffle instead of just an album on shuffle. You put 60 years of music on shuffle across all genres and you just sort of happen on different things. And it’s been incredible. It’s honestly been a lot of fun,” Deysine said. “A lot of coffee shops, you know, it’s coffee-shop music, it’s a whole genre on Spotify. I think breaking that mold and having everything played off a turntable — there’s gonna be skips in some of these old records, there’s gonna be pauses when the record is switched. It’s a little bit more of an organic feeling than just putting a generic thing on a speaker and playing it for everyone.”
Ultimately, Deysine’s goal for the cafe is to become emerged in the wider Greenpoint community while bringing neighbors together (and, yes, the shop will also sell succulents).
So excited to come to this coffee shop!!! Lucas seems like such a kind, generous person. Wishing him and For The Record ultimate success!