Jacob Alexander Co-Founder Alejandro Griffin-Diaz on the new cafe. All photographs courtesy of Jacob Alejandro.
Upstate New York espresso firm Jacob Alejandro relocated and reopened its flagship cafe in Troy final month, increasing seating, upgrading tools and making ready for an upscale enlargement into cocktails.
In a 1,900-square-foot area simply two blocks east of the unique store, Jacob Alejandro luxuriates with extra of its signature deep-green accent partitions, historic uncovered brick and gold branding and fixtures.
A two-sided bar formed like an equals signal features a new under-counter Mavam espresso system on the espresso facet and a customized station from Oslo-based Behind Bars on the cocktail facet.
Married co-owners Alejandro Griffin-Diaz and Jacob Griffin-Diaz determined to import a Behind Bars station after admiring related setups in cocktail bars in France and Romania.
That European affect additionally reveals up in Jacob Alejandro’s multiroaster espresso program, which balances staples from Pennsylvania-based Passenger Espresso with choices from Barcelona’s Nomad Espresso and Netherlands-based Dak Espresso.
The couple’s newest worldwide journey included a cease in London, the place Alejandro Griffin-Diaz was named considered one of two 2026 Espresso Masters champions on the London Espresso Competition with a drink known as Golden Fantasy.
The successful drink, made with peanut butter-infused vodka, pecans and edible gold, is just not but on the cafe menu however could seem as soon as the store receives its liquor license, Jacob Griffin-Diaz instructed Each day Espresso Information.
“Mixology and low stroll hand in hand,” Jacob Griffin-Diaz instructed DCN. “It’s simply one other manner for us to play with our creativity and do one thing extra enjoyable.”
The brand new cafe features a basement prep kitchen and an expanded ground-floor kitchen, permitting Jacob Alejandro’s cooks and bakers to make extra pastries and sweets whereas supporting a “low-key” breakfast and lunch menu. Entrees will comply with to help the deliberate cocktail program and meet New York State Liquor Authority foodservice necessities.
“We’re going for extra of a cocktail bar vibe, with the meals that actually meets the SLA tips, but in addition doesn’t overtake the cocktail bar side,” Jacob stated. “The identical with the espresso store. We’re a espresso store first, and the meals, though we’re enthusiastic about it, is admittedly only a complement to that total espresso expertise.”
Painted espresso tree branches, leaves and cherries embellish the tall entrance home windows of the brand new Troy cafe, which opened Might 21. The opening comes practically six years after the couple opened the unique store, and about two and a half years after opening JA. Pequeño in Albany.
In November 2025, Jacob Alejandro expanded the Albany store into the area subsequent door, including seating and constructing an extra bar space deliberate for JAJA Pure Wine Bar.
An identical pure wine program is deliberate for the brand new Troy store. Jacob stated the workforce additionally plans to rotate in additional worldwide roasters and launch a brand new version of its JA Espresso Membership, a loyalty-oriented 20-drink collection of specialty drinks.
Membership drinks, together with member exclusives unavailable to the general public, are supplied for a number of weeks at a time. Members who style all 20 obtain prizes resembling merchandise and reductions. The membership launched in 2023 as a one-year program however wrapped in March after the corporate’s openings, competitions and broader progress stretched the schedule.
A celebration for greater than 100 finishers is deliberate for this summer time in Albany, and the subsequent spherical is slated to launch within the fall.
“The brand new iteration of the JA Espresso Membership can be somewhat bit extra elevated,” Jacob stated. “Now that we’ve executed it as soon as, the second time goes to be somewhat extra organized and it’s going to be extra achievable for us.”
For now, Jacob Griffin-Diaz stated the plan is to work via the brand new cafe’s opening kinks, sharpen programs and preserve every new aspect dialed in.
“Alejandro all the time has a plan. He all the time has like 10 extra tasks he desires to work on,” Jacob stated. “I all the time find yourself working very carefully with him to truly make them come to fruition. I feel we’re going to carry off on any massive modifications or expansions in the interim, however that gained’t final without end. There’ll all the time be one thing else brewing.”
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Howard Bryman
Howard Bryman is the affiliate editor of Each day Espresso Information by Roast Journal. He’s primarily based in Portland, Oregon.
