The Brooklyn-based coffee chain Blank Street Coffee opened two locations in Washington, D.C., this week—and Washingtonians have some feelings about it!
Blank Street Coffee opened locations in Dupont Circle and Shaw on Tuesday, Oct. 18, and has plans to open additional locations in D.C.’s 14th Street (Logan Circle), the Wharf, and Georgetown neighborhoods by the end of 2023.
The coffee chain is known for its premise of that high-quality should be easily available and affordable. “We’re a small-format coffee shop built around the idea that great coffee should be priced and located in a way that makes it part of your every day,” the website reads.
Since debuting in 2020, Blank Street Coffee has established more than 40 locations in New York, as well as locations in London and Boston.
However, like most coffee chains, which often spur loyal followings, people have had mixed feelings about the chain: some say the coffee and price are impossible to beat, while others feel the chain has expanded too much too quickly. One New Yorker even referred to Blank Street Coffee as “the lanternfly of businesses.”
Washingtonians have vocalized their opinions on the new D.C. locations, and they seem similarly split: