The founders of Jersey City’s own Grind Coffee Shop have announced the opening of a new location, The Grind General Store, which will feature homeware and more. You can shop in person starting this July at 293 Suydam Avenue in Bergen-Lafayette. The store is founded by the same team that opened the coffee shop five years ago, Jersey City all-stars Shane and Mike Clark, husband and wife, and their friend Charles Boydand. The trio brings together backgrounds in “fashion, food, and design,” their website writes, to render an “obsession with coffee and the ‘coffee culture.’”
The store’s opening comes in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. New Jersey’s gradual reopening is currently in Stage Two. This allows for moderate-risk activities, while upholding requirements for face coverings and social distancing. You’re going to see people dining outside, shopping non-essential retail inside, and picking up books curbside from the library.
The Grind General’s announcement came in an Instagram post on the coffee shop’s account, posted late last month. In the post, The Grind introduced a public art piece as well as The Grind General Store’s official Instagram account. Since then, we’ve gotten a few more glimpses at the new location, including some exciting illustrations.
The management team says The Grind General’s opening will be met with two modes of purchase, to foster ease and safety. You can order through their delivery service, for one, or enjoy a personalized shopping experience right in the store itself. This will be accomplished through The Grind General’s very own app, currently in the works. You’ll be provided 20minutes to shop by yourself to ensure social distancing and a comfortable retail experience. Whatever way you’re comfortable with shopping, The Grind General’s got you covered.
What can we expect on the shelves? While you might order a Seasonal Latte and a “Puppachino” for your furry companion off the coffee location’s specialty menu, The Grind General will bring in brands from far and away. Expect a collection of homeware and more conveniently housed for the Jersey City community.
Until then, you can browse The Grind’s online merch, where they have everything from logoed t-shirts and snapbacks to totes and mugs.
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The Grind was first established in 2015. The owners saw opportunity in Bergen-Lafayette because it wasn’t as congested as other parts of Jersey City. That’s just why The Grind is a gem of a local business and has a close relationship to the neighborhood’s residents. The coffee shop, if you haven’t stopped by in the past, is situated at 360 Communipaw Ave. There, you can enjoy a cup of Joe with friends, while taking a work call, or even just laying back to read a book. The store’s chic and trendy vibes aim to keep your calm no matter what your day looks like.
Stronger than ever, The Grind stands as a testament to Jersey City’s fierce local business spirit. Their new location will further this legacy. Moreover, The Grind General promises to offer “more choices with the same quality, and add variety and neat ideas to the table,” says Mike.
Perhaps most importantly of all, The Grind General will continue to expand the presence of Black-owned businesses in Jersey City. During a time of protest, pain, and pushes for change, The Grind functions as a place for people to come together. “We want to make a difference in the neighborhood,” Mike says, adding that he and his team have been planning the opening of The Grind General for a while now.
Mike hopes to continue to “service the neighborhood” this July. The Grind General seems to be coming at just the right time, for a much-needed reprieve from a tumultuous summer, and to remind us of how good it feels to lift each other up.
Main image courtesy of @grindgeneral
About the Author/s
Tom Garback is currently pursuing a BA in Writing, Literature, and Publishing at Emerson College, where he is a Staff Writer, Blogger, Copy Editor, and Reader at various on-campus magazines. His fiction, poems, and essays have been featured in Thin Air, Blind Corner, Teen Ink, Oddball, The Magazine, Generic, Polaris, Gauge, and Sonder, among others.
