Plowshares Coffee Roasters

Plowshares began as a wholesale roaster in New Jersey's Ramapo Valley, roasting specialty coffee as early as 2008 when few dedicated specialty roasters existed anywhere near New York. Founder Anthony Kurutz opened the brand's first retail cafe near Columbia University on the Upper West Side in 2014, then expanded into this roughly 3,000 square foot West Harlem roastery cafe, where beans are roasted on a vintage 1940s Probat machine visible behind glass to customers.

The Harlem room also hosts a live jazz session on Sundays, a program that has become part of the neighborhood's own weekend rhythm. Laptops are a common sight alongside the coffee, the room working as well for a long study session as for a quick sit down cup.