I visited 100+ coffee shops in Manhattan. Here’s what I’ve learned ??

I’m on a mission to find the best coffee spots in NYC and get a clear picture on how this industry works

I start my day with 5 espresso shots from different places, then follow up with 5 more after lunch (God bless decaf!).

Sometimes I try something special and beyond coffee like matcha latte, ume coffee, espresso infused banana shake, boba tea or smoothies.

The stores I visited represent brands with over 1,000 locations across NYC.

Here’s what I’ve discovered so far

The city that never sleeps definitely runs on caffeine. That’s why coffee shop density is incredibly high — every step you take, there’s another place to grab a cup. It’s wild. But while the daily coffee per person (~2 cups) hasn’t shifted much, new shops keep opening, ramping up the competition.

The busiest stores handle 3,000 to 4,000 orders weekly.

The most popular item — Latte in every possible variation.

Almost every barista says customers aren’t fans of acidity, so dark roasts are the go-to beans. When mixed with milk, cream, and syrups, people still want that coffee flavor to stand out.

Plenty of spots, though, offer light and medium roasts, single origins, and great espresso. In the best places it’s served with a glass of sparkling water because they care about your taste buds.

There are two main types of coffee shops. The “Neighborhood Cafe” where you can relax, enjoy breakfast, chat with friends, or even work:

And the “Coffee Point”, designed for a quick caffeine fix or a fast treat of your favorite drink:

Starbucks and Dunkin’ lead the market with over 350 locations in Manhattan, yet they only represent about 13-20% of the 2,000-3,000 coffee and drink shops (according to different sources). The rest are primarily single-units or local chains with a strong presence.

A lot of coffee shops like Blue Bottle, Black Fox, Devoción, Simpl, Grumption, Bluestone Lane are well-designed and have great aesthetics — places you’ll want to return to.

The competition in the coffee industry is driving new concepts beyond just coffee. There are many interesting ideas out there, such as Heytea (tea), Matchful and Cha Cha Matcha (matcha), Juice Press (healthy smoothies), Oakberry (acai), Cool Sips (customizable soda) and more.

There are also some variations in the business model. For instance, Matto Espresso is on a mission to serve specialty coffee with an ultra-affordable $3 menu. Blank Street Coffee is testing a weekly subscription model - pay $8.99 for access to basic drinks for free.

Square has a strong presence in Manhattan, covering 55% of the locations on my list, while Toast holds second place with 25%. The remaining 20% — other POS systems.

Digital channel adoption is gaining momentum, with over 50% of stores now offering digital ordering. Many chains like Think Coffee, Birch Coffee, Gregorys Coffee, Le Cafe Coffee have recently launched their own ordering apps and started promoting them.

The highest digital revenue share I’ve found is 80%.

The market is rapidly transitioning to digital. The adoption of new technologies, along with generational shifts and changing consumer behaviors, is driving us toward a digital-first world.

Just picture it: you’re walking down a street or driving, and you say, "Hey Siri/ChatGPT/Gemini, order my coffee, please". It’s ordered and paid, and it starts to prepare while you’re crossing a geo-fence, ensuring you get your perfect cup without any lines or hassles.

But there’s one missing piece in this perfect story — the pickup area. With digital orders skyrocketing, it’s only a matter of time before the volume becomes unmanageable.

Crowded pickup counters, unclear order statuses, a lot of people waiting around to find their orders, and manual processes behind the counter are all impacting labor efficiency, order accuracy, and customer experience.

That’s why we’re building Pickpad — a smart order pickup station powered by sensors and machine learning, designed to help busy stores boost operational efficiency and customer retention.

We’ve just completed our integration with Square, and we have a few slots open for true innovators to pilot the solution for free.

Thanks for reading, and please share your insights or perspective on what’s happening in this industry!

Specialty Coffee Association , Jason Scherr , Raphael Sakr , Mikael Sakr , Yuliia Kromido , Sam Ascher , Anders Cairns , Jeremy Lyman , Paul Schlader , Karl Strovink , Francisca Hawkins , Issam Freiha, Vinay Menda, Wendy Johnson, Macy Amos, Michael Karsch , Erica Karsch , Jennifer Maman , Jiyoon H. , Clayton Kanayan-Pitcher , Georgia Goldsbrough-Reardon , Hannah Habes , Danielle Brizel , Gabrielle Reisner , Clare Lim , Caroline Bell , Gregory Zamfotis , René Puerta , Jonathan Rubinstein , Thomas Olmedo Clayton Kanayan-Pitcher