With Deep Expertise, Simpl Espresso Makes It Look Straightforward In Manhattan

The brand new Simpl Espresso store in Midtown Manhattan. All photos courtesy of Simpl Espresso.

A pair of Ukrainian espresso chain veterans not too long ago launched a brand new cafe model in the USA known as Simpl Espresso, with a second location now open in Midtown Manhattan.

Inside, clear strains and proper angles come by black wood tables, white cabinetry and a stone-topped bar. A palette of largely whites, grays and black is softened by flowers and inexperienced crops, conserving the room calm and uncluttered so drinks and pastries can pop.

“Nothing screams for consideration, however numerous small particulars quietly inform you, ‘We actually care,’” Simpl Espresso Co-Founder Oleksandr Chernyshov instructed Each day Espresso Information. “No faux finishes, no ornamental ‘faux.’ That’s a price for us, not simply an aesthetic. The purpose for the areas and for the model is identical: Make the whole lot so simple as attainable for the visitor, and as sincere as attainable in the way it feels.”

Among the many store’s inside particulars are vertical strips of Ukrainian folks patterns painted in white on gentle grey partitions, surrounding a cloud-shaped, backlit, borderless mirror. Whereas Simpl’s homeowners embrace their roots, the connection comes by execution greater than decoration.

“I’m undecided quantify ‘Ukrainian fashion’ in design, however I can positively describe our mentality,” Chernyshov mentioned. “The place we come from, nothing is assured. So in case you determine to do one thing – a espresso store, a sandwich, a visitor interplay – you do it in addition to you probably can, otherwise you don’t do it in any respect. And then you definitely preserve tightening the screws, making it just a little higher each month, yearly.”

A Fetco batch brewer and a La Marzocco Linea espresso machine paired with Mahlkönig grinders anchor the bar within the roughly 600-square-foot Midtown East store.

“For us, the story shouldn’t be about unique gear. It’s about stability,” Chernyshov mentioned. “We don’t simply want nice pictures as we speak — we’d like nice pictures day by day, for years. We would like visitors to know that after they fall in love with a flat white at Simpl, they’ll come again subsequent week, subsequent month, subsequent season — and it’ll nonetheless style like ‘that’ flat white.”

Simpl Espresso Midtown

Simpl’s 300-square-foot first New York location opened within the Monetary District close to the tip of 2023 with a compact, high-efficiency bar. The Midtown East store, open since October 2025, retains the identical tight focus whereas providing just a little extra room to linger.

“We like smaller, very intentional footprints the place each sq. foot has a job,” Chernyshov mentioned.

Earlier than coming to the U.S., Chernyshov constructed his profession in Ukraine as CEO of Aroma Kava, scaling from one location to greater than 350 whereas additionally launching a wholesale bakery. Co-founder Oleksandr Voievodin mentioned he beforehand based My Espresso in Ukraine, rising it from one location right into a franchised enterprise with greater than 150 outlets.

Simpl Espresso within the Monetary District.

Each founders offered their stakes and moved to the U.S. in 2022 after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

“When the full-scale struggle began in Ukraine, security turned the primary precedence for our households, our crew, our lives,” mentioned Chernyshov. “For us, the U.S. is essentially the most enticing market on this planet for a lot of industries, and for espresso outlets it’s virtually a dream stage: robust espresso tradition, excessive requirements, demanding visitors and room for brand new manufacturers with a really excessive bar for service and consistency.”

Simpl’s customized blends and single-origin coffees for each places are roasted by a third-party companion in Brooklyn, whereas a small day by day pastry lineup is delivered from Balthazar.

With the primary two outlets serving as a stress check for techniques, coaching and the visitor expertise, the founders mentioned the subsequent stage is acceleration. Chernyshov mentioned the purpose is roughly 50 company places in concentrated markets over the subsequent few years earlier than shifting into franchising and partnerships, with a long-range goal of three,000 outlets in 10 years.

Co‑founders Oleksandr Chernyshov (left) and Oleksandr Voievodin

“It received’t be a straight line, after all, however that’s the dimensions we’re aiming at,” mentioned Chernyshov. “We’ve finished lots of earlier than. Now we need to see if we will do hundreds — with a greater product, a stronger model and a more healthy basis.”

Simpl Espresso is positioned at 927 2nd Ave, New York Metropolis.

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