Maegan Stewart, a 24-year-old budding influencer, says Blank Street’s new concept “ups their game.”
Photographer: Rebecca Smeyne/Bloomberg
Blank Street Abandons Tiny Coffee Shops to Take on Starbucks
The chain scaled quickly early on with small, no-frills stores focused on speed. Its much bigger new concept wants to be a TikTok-friendly hangout.
Blank Street’s valuation surged past $500 million in just a few years by selling cheap, to-go coffee at tiny, no-frills stores in New York and London. But now amid signs of its growth slowing, the venture-backed startup is embracing much of what it once avoided.
A new concept in lower Manhattan is loaded with TikTok catnip. There are big mirrors for selfies, mint green ceilings that pop and staging areas for orders with optimal lighting. At about 1,300 square feet, it’s three times larger than many current stores that were often so small that they couldn’t fit seats. Blank Street is rectifying that by adding what it’s dubbed “conversation” booths.