Perk Coffee

Small and personal 😌 👌 quite and friendly staff. wifi accessible

Came here for a coffee and got what I came for.
Cheaper and better and not the least much nicer atmosphere than your *bucks.
Coffee well brewed of a Colombian medium roast. So if you know you like that profile, this is a good choice.
Free wifi.

A tiny local spot with an amazing barista, looks very homey and privately owned. A decent coffee and tea selection, as well as seasonal lattes. Matcha Latte was great, I would have loved to have a bit more foam though.
There is a communal table seating 6-8 people and may be 2-3 small tables around. They have good wifi and don't mind people working on laptops (from what I saw).

I'll preface this with the claim that I have been coffee'ing at Perk since its original founder opened it. Years ago, this was NOT a place that - thanks to customers and new management - operated like a mini Starbucks. Today, sadly, and definitely today, entitlement reigns supreme. And the parent company needs to determine and enact policy and procedure so Perk E. 37th Street doesn't become more of a Wework replacement than it already is.

The coffee is terrific. Ditto the tea, and pastries from/by Balthazar, and the sandwhiches and salads by a maker whose name I forget. And with staff like Angie, Zaire, Brian, Brian, Ed, and Jordan, whether you're grabbing and going or sticking around to enjoy your cuppa, Perk E. 37th is the look.

What, or who, isn't terrific, too often than not, are customers.

On a particular day in April earlier this year, one person and their laptop took up three two top tables, and one person sat with their laptop in one seat at the community table, with their backpack on its own chair. This behavior exemplifies the entitlement we frequently see on buses and subways.

People park at Perk for hours, not ordering again, and bogarting seats and space to the detriment of other customers, but, more importantly, this harms the business.
The latest (mid-December) is people bring their own food and fill their Yeti bottles with the water in the dispenser. And these things, besides being theft-like, if not actual theft, offend those who buy everything consumed at Perk. That they are allowed really does flip off those who show respect with their money and their presence.

While now owned by an out-of-state company, Perk is still local, it's NOT a chain, and staffed by a few exceptional people who, like most who work in food and beverage service, work hard because they care and not because they are paid six figures. On 10/4/24, a couple had decided that they bought one cup each and could conduct meetings, take up 3/4 of the community table, and just be who they were and act however they wanted, instead of being at an office. Or Wework. Or at home.

I recognize that my statements here are mine and mine alone. At the same time, too many customers do not behave the ways we should, in a small, local, high-quality coffee-serving and product-providing place that is not a large space.

Whether or not management enacts policy and procedure to prevent or limit bogarting of seats, customers need to apply more empathy and less entitlement to their visits to Perk E. 37th.

If you're curious, on the aforementioned the day in April, I sat at the foot of the community table, and ordered and enjoyed finished three beverages. And on 10/4/24, I sat along the wall, where I enjoyed, after purchase, two coffees, one water, and two pastries.

Shouts to Brian, Angie, Zaire, Brian, Jordan, and Ed. If I left out anyone, my apologies and please let me know. Happy Holidays.

Cozy coffee shop with excellent coffee and uber friendly people working here. Pretty good seating setup as well.

Great coffee shop and so cute and cozy. A bit hidden as well. A small number of seats but a nice communal table to work at. They also have wifi and a variety of drinks.

One of the best cups of coffee I’ve had in the city… and I drink a lot of coffee. Low-key place but friendly and attentive staff. Seasonal drinks, good place to work for a bit on your laptop or read. Came two days in a row.