Skift Take
Today’s new luxury hotels are on the hunt to fill their F&B spaces with trendsetting partners. That’s why the owner of the soon-to-be TWA Hotel at JFK is looking to the Midwest to satisfy its caffeine craving.
Long gone are the days when a hotel could install a nameless coffee outlet in the lobby and expect a steady drip of customers. But nowadays, even one-size-fits-all Starbucks outlets are being filtered out by many boutique properties, which are opting to align with coffee brands that are more on the cutting edge.
According to market research firm Ibis World, "One of the fastest-growing segments over the past five years has been independent coffee shops, which target coffee connoisseurs. This trend, which has been termed 'third-wave' ...considers coffee an artisanal product rather than a commodity." The Coffee and Snack Shops in the US report goes on to say that "prominent third-wave coffee exponents, such as Stumptown Coffee Roasters in Portland, Oregon and Intelligentsia Coffee in Chicago, have led the charge."
That helps explain why hipster brand Ace Hotels partners with Stumptown. But to understand what's brewing between two high-design New York City properties and Intelligentsia takes a bit more explanation.
Finding the Right Partner
MCR Development, led by founder Tyler Morse, owns scores of hotels across the United States. Most operate under the flags of big hotel brands. But two of the company's crown jewels, the soon-to-open TWA Hotel at JFK Airpo
