The Washington/Clinton corner of The Hotel @ The Lafayette has come to life, with the smells of brewing coffee and slow pour overs. Katie Ambrose, owner of Groom Service Beauty Bar inside the hotel, made mention that the addition of the Public Espresso + Coffee café on the corner has helped to electrify the street, along with the interior lobby of the hotel. The dramatic transition is a big boost for all of the businesses in the neighborhood, mainly due to the increased amount of activity brought about by the expanded operation, as well as the increased visibility of the business on the street.
Public Espresso + Coffee originally set its sights on the lobby of the hotel, where it managed to cultivate a loyal following. At the same time, this new opportunity proved to be too irresistible, and rightfully so. There is a completely different energy within the café, with lots more seating, and plenty of windows onto the outside world.
Public’s newly expanded footprint within the hotel is just one of the business’s recent plans to broaden its caffeinated empire in all directions throughout Buffalo. The café brand can be found just about everywhere these days, and that’s a good thing. Public has been on the move since founders James Rayburg and Sam Scarcello began setting up pop-up stands at local farmers’ markets in 2013. Eventually, the two landed a permanent location at the hotel back in 2015. The company is considered the first ‘Third Wave’ slow bar coffee shop in Buffalo. The espresso and coffee outfit can also be found in Larkinville, on Grant Street (coming soon), and will soon set up shop within the restored Shea’s Seneca building in South Buffalo. To learn more about these projects, click here.
Public Espresso + Coffee | The Hotel @ The Lafayette | 391 Washington Street | Buffalo, New York 14203 | (716) 341-2150 | Facebook
Lead image: Katie Ambrose