Uniqlo Opens First U.S. Coffee Shop in New York

This is the fashion retailer’s first North American location of Uniqlo Coffee.

Nadia Chaudhury is an editor for Eater’s Northeast region and former editor of Eater Austin, who often writes about food and pop culture.

The growing trend of Japanese retailers opening cafes in New York continues. First came Muji, which debuted its Muji Food Market in Chelsea Market in January. Now, trendy fashion company Uniqlo opened its first North American location of its coffee shop, Uniqlo Coffee, inside its Midtown store at 660 Fifth Avenue, between West 52nd and 53rd streets, on Friday, March 14.

New York’s Uniqlo Coffee serves a simple menu of drinks: coffee, espresso beverages, cold brew, and matcha lattes, alongside not-caffeinated drinks like hot chocolate, orange juice, and water. It’s found on the second floor of the store, open during the store’s hours. The cafe took over what was previously a Starbucks, which closed way back in 2018. There are many Uniqlo Coffees across Asia, including those in Japan, Hong Kong, the Philippines, and Malaysia; these locations tend to offer pastries and desserts like cookie butter cheesecakes and hojicha gelato.

Getting into food isn’t out of left field for Uniqlo. The fashion retailer often dips into food-themed graphic T-shirts, such as ramen shops and Pocky.

Source: Eater