The Bean Coffee and Tea

Question: How did you find out about IndieWalls/The Bean?
Joseph Meloy: One of my Vandal Expressionism stickers got picked up on a blog that chronicles the NYC sticker scene (the aptly-titled StickersofNYC.com) and I became friendly with the brains behind the operation, Dann Berg. I believe Dann met IndieWalls co-founder Ari Grazi and he passed the information about the newly-founded company onto me, so I applied, and alas they must have liked what I was doing because soon thereafter I was added to their ever-growing roster of artists.

Q: And The Bean?
JM: As for The Bean, I was already familiar with their coffee and I was happy to see that someone had finally renovated that great spot over on 3rd Street and 2nd Avenue that had been empty for as long as I could remember.

Q:What made you decide to work with them?
JM: One of the main things that I liked about the IndieWalls business model was the way it brings art into everyday spaces, outside of the art world bubble. As an artist, it’s important to me to reach as wide an audience as possible, particularly those who may not necessarily get to experience fine art up close and personal in their daily lives.

Q: The pieces up in The Bean now have some sort of Graffiti theme, can you elaborate on that?
JM: Graffiti has always played an fundamental role in my relationship with art. My earliest memories of art are not really from museums and books, rather from the murals and graffiti in the street as a kid growing up in NYC in the late 80’s. Murals by Keith Haring and Lee Quinones captivated me and the raw, almost sinister nature of graffiti tagging really began to inform the way I drew and painted. By no means do I consider myself a graffiti artist in the traditional sense, but at the same time, the visual language of graffiti is so integral to what I do that it’s pretty much inextricable. That being said, I do consider myself to be something of a post-graffiti artist… To me it’s almost like the connection between the blues and rock and roll… There was a time when in order to play the blues, you would have had to come from a particular cultural background, but as time went on, the music was adapted by the next generation who took the fundamentals of it and played it in their own way so that it developed into a thing of its own. I think we live in an age when pure graffiti and post-graffiti exist side by side and are in a perpetual state of blending back and forth into each other.

Q:What is your favorite part about having your work up in The Bean?
JM:My favorite part about having my work up in The Bean is the many texts, facebook posts and tweets from friends and associates saying “Hey, I just saw your work at The Bean”. You guys have a great spot there and I’m very happy to be a part of it.

Be sure to check out Joseph’s work at http://www.facebook.com/vandalexpressionism

Mar 26

Jennie - The Teaologist

Have you ever enjoyed a fantastic cup of tea at The Bean and wondered why you’d never heard of the flavor before? That’s because the Teaologist creates our flavors with us. That means each flavor is unique to The Bean, so if you want to try each one, you’ll have to just keep coming. Flavors like The Grouch, a mood boosting tea, The Superhero, a chai that’s great for your whole body, and The Lullaby are some of the custom blends the Teaologist has helped us create.

Jennie Ripps, the founder of the Teaologist, explained her role in the company. She meets with business owners and discusses the vibe of the store, the kinds of teas they’d like to have and all the little tidbits that are important when it comes to creating the teas. Jennie is also the mastermind that works with businesses like The Bean to create the teas, like The Superhero, that keep customers addicted. When not brainstorming brilliant new combinations for teas, Jennie also handles the business side of the Teaologist.

At Jennie’s suggestion, everyone should check out the Tea Table at The Bean’s 2nd Avenue location. The table sites in the back and acts as a display case where you can see all the different varieties of tea that The Bean has. Jennie’s favorite is the Superhero, a chai blend that is sure to help pick up a slow day. One thing Jennie is excited for, the new custom Iced Teas at The Bean. Coming this summer, make sure to stop by a Bean location to try a custom blend of iced tea!

Mar 20

IndieWalls - Why the Art in The Bean is Awesome

Sabrina Wirth is a curator of fine things; she enjoys good art as well as good Chai and swears The Bean’s got the best of the Chai. Right now, she works for IndieWalls, the company responsible for the awesome artwork you will always spot in The Bean. IndieWalls was created by Ari Grazi and Gavi Wolf; it works to connect local venues with local artists to create exhibition spaces in venues like The Bean. Sabrina emphasizes that the way IndieWalls connect artists, venues, and buyers is useful for everyone. People can browse the website and when they find art they enjoy, they can go to a local business to view it in person which brings more and more people into the stores. This creates exhibition venues all over the city for local artists to have installations. When asked why the IndieWalls process is so special Sabrina pinpointed the reason. She explained, “Nobody else does this, we promote art on the site and in actual venues… If you see art you like in a space you can scan the label and it will take you to the website to purchase a piece.” She said IndieWalls is great for venues looking for artists because since the art is curated, venues are guaranteed “great quality art”.

Up now in The Bean on Broadway are works by Joseph Meloy; these pieces combine graffiti and art perfectly. To get into the IndieWalls scene, artists can apply directly through the website. Then people like Sabrina go through the submissions and give venues options for appropriate pieces, pieces that match the vibe of the venue, its customers and owners. The art is put in on a rotating basis so many artists can be shown in one venue and new customers are introduced to new venues. Sabrina enjoys working with The Bean and she enjoys the challenge of curating. She says, “The challenge is coming up with appropriate artists for each location because each venue is very different. Usually it’s better to meet the managers or owners of the space to get a better sense of the style of art that fits.” Right now the art in The Bean definitely fits the cool and urban vibe of the art. Make sure you get to check it out soon!

Feb 29

ScoutMob

Two years ago, in Atlanta, Georgia, Dave Payne created ScoutMob with the goal to manage and create a sited focused to local places where locals actually go. It was intended to be a site that gives smaller, local places the opportunities to give deals. Both the site and the app have become extremely popular since then. ScoutMob just got its millionth user and is now available in 13 cities. Atlanta is its biggest market with New York just second at over 125,000 users. We spoke with Jack Eichinger, ScoutMob’s account manager, to get the scoop on what ScoutMob offers that deal sites like Groupon don’t.
Firstly, Jack stressed, big deal sites “don’t focus on the local places that I go to.” ScoutMob is different because it caters to local users, “one restaurant a day, with about 90% of the deals being restaurants.” ScoutMob’s second biggest selling point, or attraction point being that the app is completely free, is its seamless process. You don’t have to print or purchase the deal beforehand, you show up at the location, present the app, and get the deal. Jack is right, it could not be easier; it’s a free app for any smartphone, iPhone, Android, and Blackberry friendly.
I asked Jack what he thought of the events for The Bean. “Since The Bean is so popular, bringing in customers really isn’t an issue,” he noted. ScoutMob is a marketing tool for the business, and while some businesses do not know how to utilize it, Jack noted, The Bean knew how to handle the event. We are all looking forward to the event on March 1st and the deal goes live on the app at 12 am!

Feb 22

An Interview with The Mosaic Man

Love the artwork outside our 2nd Avenue store? Check out the story of how it got there! The Mosaic Man has put all those fantastic pieces together, head to the store to see them in real life!

Dec 14

Joe might refrigerate, but he has a warm place in The Bean’s heart

Joe Olsen: My father was in the business, and I learned it from him. Then, I enlisted into the army and worked in helicopter aviation. I carried on doing the same thing as my father once I got out of the army. I work all over the city. My job is basically maintaining and repairing refrigerators to make sure they are functioning properly.

Dec 11

Dec 09

Our mighty return is approaching: Monday is the day @thebeannyc returns to the #eastvillage @2nd Ave and 3rd St. #neighborhoodpride #ruready?

Dec 08

Dec 05

Dec 02

Nov 30

Nov 26

The Bean NYC now carries gift cards! Give the #gift of #coffee and #tea (in fact, the best in NYC).