at provided a satisfying experience. Either the shop was too slow and inconvenient, the drinks were overpriced, or there was a headache-inducing combination of both elements. There were no affordable, quality “grab-and-go” options where someone like a broke college student could go to grab an affordable drink quickly, once or multiple times a day. So rather than following the typical coffee shop model of setting up an aesthetic spot for customers to lounge and sip coffee, Menda and Freiha decided to focus more on convenience. The duo partnered with EV Foods, a New York-based electric mobile vending platform, to launch their first electric-powered coffee cart in Williamsburg at the iconic Wythe Diner building in August 2020. In July 2021, Menda told Forbes that the cost of running a kiosk or a cart was less than that of running a storefront the size of its competitors. At the time, running a cart cost Blank Street Coffee about $60,000 to $75,000, whereas Starbucks, with its 1500- to 2000-square-foot storefronts, reportedly outlays $350,000 to $500,000 to open. Even as the brand went on to launch its first bricks-and-mortar shop on Bedford Avenue in Brooklyn in February 2021, it kept the footprint small – a typical location remains under 350 square feet. In shrinking the business’s real-estate expenditures, the founders have kept their operating costs in check, enabling them to invest in other areas, such as the premium Eversys coffee machines the company uses to make its primary beverage offerings automatically and keeping product prices low. The route to rapid physical expansion Blank Street Coffee’s physical retail presence has grown quickly since it launched onto the scene in August 2020. As of October 2024, the coffee chain’s network has grown to encompass 44 locations in the US and 40 locations in its secondary market, the UK. A large majority of Blank Street’s US storefronts are in New York City, causing some locals to wonder where the beverage brand came from. As a New York Times headline stated in 2022, “It’s not just you – Blank Street Coffee is suddenly inescapable.” The rapid physical expansion couldn’t have been attained without the necessary capital. In October 2021, Blank Street Coffee announced a $25 million Series A investment led by General Catalyst and Tiger Global. Youngme Moon, a Harvard Business School professor, Blank Street board member and General Catalyst adviser, said Blank Street had quickly established itself as the newest contender in NYC’s high-growth specialty coffee race. “While they’ve quickly created an impressive coffee business, I was drawn to the way the Blank Street founders are reimagining the entire micro-retail experience for urban customers,” Moon stated. She told the website TechCrunch that while Blank Street competes in a crowded, competitive landscape, it differentiates itself through a unique customer experience by serving a high-quality product through a digitally native, mobile vendor offering. Melissa Gonzalez, principal of MG2, a retail architecture and design firm, also thinks Blank Street’s automated system gives the business a competitive advantage over traditional coffee chains. “Automated coffee preparation allows Blank Street Coffee to offer faster service with lower operational costs than competitors,” Gonzalez pointed out, “which is especially critical in urban environments where speed and efficiency expectations are high.” Additionally, Gonzalez observed Blank Street Coffee’s “seamless integration” of digital channels, such as its app-based ordering and loyalty programs, into its physical channels, further extends its efficiency and appeals to urban consumers, especially a younger, digitally savvy audience. How Blank Street won over retail’s trickiest consumer group Stepping inside a Blank Street Coffee shop, it’s evident that the chain resonates with Gen Z customers. In addition to the factors Gonzalez noted, there are a few other key ingredients in Blank Street’s success with the younger coffee consumer. As the MG2 principal told Inside Retail, “The brand’s minimalist aesthetic and trendy beverage options, such as the matcha-based drinks and seasonal cold brews, contribute to the company’s cult-like following and viral content moments.” Blank Street Coffee has leaned into Gen Z’s ever-growing fixation with matcha, with best-selling products such as Iced Banana Bread Matcha. As Menda disclosed, the matcha flavours accounted for roughly half of the brand’s beverage sales last year. Gonzalez added that the company is smart in the way it leverages its physical locations to serve as community hubs, engages in local collaborations and functions as a neighbourhood coffee shop with a personal touch. For example, in 2022, Blank Street Coffee partnered with several buzzing brands, including Kendall Jenner’s 818 Tequila, sunscreen brand Supergoop and YouTube sensation Emma Chamberlain and her eponymous coffee company, to host a buzzworthy bricks-and-mortar pop-up experience. Then, in June 2024, Blank Street Coffee garnered the hard-to-capture attention of Gen Zers with the presence of a celebrity barista at a London location. Grammy Award-winning singer Sabrina Carpenter was “working late” serving espressos and other caffeinated beverages to a lucky few that summer’s day. To say the least, Carpenter and Blank Street Coffee aficionados alike were fans of this moment, which went viral on social media. “We love teaming up with brands and celebrities and influencers that vibe with our customers,” Menda said. Strategically, it’s all about authenticity. We know our audience – what makes them tick, what they are reading, where they are shopping, and who they are following on social media. “We love tapping into our established community with influential talent and like-minded brands that organically live and breathe the Blank Street lifestyle. We’re really picky with partnerships because we know our customers expect the best.” Will Blank Street be the next big coffee chain? Can this combination of small physical locations, cost-effective technology investments and Gen Z-friendly products and marketing campaigns propel Blank Street Coffee to become the next big national, or multinational, chain? Based on its current growth trajectory, the answer seems to be yes. However, as Gonzalez pointed out, the road ahead is not entirely smooth. “It will be interesting to see how rising costs and the supply chain will impact its model, especially as competition continues to grow from not only Starbucks, but also Blue Bottle, Bluestone Lane and others,” she cautioned. Menda and Freiha disclosed that they have a few tricks up their sleeves to ensure Blank Street Coffee maintains its momentum. Although they declined to elaborate on further details, they revealed that Blank Street Coffee has a rebrand in the works that will be unveiled this coming spring. “Our goal has been and always will be to serve high-quality coffee and matcha at a price that feels right, without compromising on speed or hospitality,” Menda stated. “Whether it’s the convenience of our app, our hyper-local community engagement, or our baristas who know your order before you even say it, Blank Street is designed for how people actually live today. “All of this said, I believe wholeheartedly that Blank Street is well on its way to cementing its legacy. We plan to keep building on what we’ve started – but bigger, better and more exciting, because that’s how legacies are built, by seeing the future before anyone else does. We’re pumped, and we can’t wait to see what’s in store for us.” This story first appeared in the March 2025 issue of Inside Retail US magazine.