Olas Coffee (495 Lorimer St.) is a small-batch coffee company whose name translates to waves in Spanish. Olas opened a brick-and-mortar shop in February 2022 in the space that was previously home to Gimme Coffee, which closed in 2020.
Jeremiah Borrego, one of the owners, started Olas as a wholesale business about five years ago, while he worked in other coffee shops. “During that time, I was always keeping an eye out for potential cafe spaces,” Borrego told Greenpointers.
Borrego said that Gimme Coffee was one of the first coffee shops he went to when he moved to Brooklyn 14 years ago. “Bringing new life to a longtime cafe space in a vibrant local community was a big part of the decision in choosing 495 Lorimer,” he said.
Olas’ store stands out in the surplus of coffee shops in North Brooklyn with a list of exciting collaborations with other local businesses. “Many of the collaborations stem from conversations with other small business owners who are passionate about their work and community,” Borrego told Greenpointers. “Those conversations tend to build into our shared value of bringing people together.”
One of the recent collaborative events was a flower workshop with the owner of Everwild Bloom nearby, which opened around the same time as Olas.
The most recent collaboration was with Soup Doula. The owner of Soup Doula and Borrego worked together at Reynard, the restaurant that used to anchor the Wythe Hotel. “When she launched her soup business it was a natural fit sharing high quality nourishing food with our friends and neighbors,” Borrego said.
Olas’ next joint event is on October 7, 10 a.m. – noon, with local roaster Scott Price. Price is the lead roaster for Paloma, a popular two-store chain of coffee shops in Greenpoint and Williamsburg.
Price also has his own coffee brand on the side called Anomalous. “Building his own brand while working for other folks is what I did for years before I opened Olas Cafe. His passion and self-starting values are things we bond over,” Borrego said of Price.
“There are so many great Brooklyn micro roasters now, I plan on holding similar guest roaster events to introduce folks to the vast array of local coffee,” Borrego added.
In addition to these varied events, Olas has an everyday menu of excellent coffee and traditional coffee shop beverages and snacks, plus several unique additions.
Olas sells Virbuna Kombucha, available in a bottle or on draft, which Borrego developed himself in Brooklyn. He calls it a “fun homegrown offering that is uniquely Brooklyn made.” Unlike typical kombucha, Borrego uses unroasted coffee, instead of tea, currently brewing it with Olas’ single-origin Colombia from Antioquia.
In addition to Borrego’s original kombucha, he makes another version with cascara, using the upcycled skin part of coffee fruit from a farm co-op in Nicaragua. This unique version is made-to-order. “As a caffeinated fizzy probiotic offering, it makes a great option as an afternoon pick-me-up,” Borrego said of his kombucha.
Olas also has a few fun food options to pair with one of the shop’s many beverages. The food menu includes breakfast tacos on homemade tortillas, tamales, and a small selection of classic coffee shop pastries.
Olas is open Monday through Wednesday 7 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., Thursday and Friday 7 a.m. – 6 p.m., Saturday 8 a.m. – 6 p.m., and Sunday 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.