Downbeat Coffee + Tea now open on West 39th Street

For about three years, Downbeat Coffee + Tea operated in a somewhat secluded spot on the West Plaza — a basement space with an entrance on an otherwise residential street, at 4706 Holly. 

Owner Emily Madison vacated that space a few months ago, and last week she reopened Downbeat Coffee + Tea in another off-the-path location: the second floor of 1200 West 39th Street. (It’s the bright-blue house across from the Loretto, most recently home to furniture shop Greener Goose.) The concept is essentially the same. 

“Coffee, tea, smoothies, and we’ll be adding baked goods soon,” Madison says. “And art — we haven’t put up most of our art yet.” 

Coffee and tea drinkers are free to choose from a selection of vinyl to play on the turntable in the shop. And Patrick Brown — also known as DJ Jabberock — will be setting up a pop-up record store, Trifecta Massive Sounds, every other Saturday. 

A favorite monthly event at the West Plaza location, Beats and Brunch, will also be resurrected. It’s moving from every second Saturday to every second Sunday so as not to disturb the downstairs tenant, Simply Grooming by Gia (which is closed on Sundays). This Sunday, June 14, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., Ben Swiller, Vertigone, Lemroc Evil and Ace Fadal will be participating in Beats and Brunch; the theme is beats sampled from video-game soundtracks. 

“It’s kind of like a daytime party — I think of it as the most fun you could ever have sober,” Madison says. 

Downbeat Coffee + Tea
1200 West 39th Street, second floor
Hours: 8 a.m. – 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday. (Hours vary for weekend events.)