New Caffe Bene at 24 St. Marks Pl. (Credit: Joshua Alvarez)
The East Village is getting not one but two new outposts of South Korean coffee chain Caffebene this month. The first opened Monday at 208 Avenue A, on the corner of 13th Street, and the other will open next week at 24 St. Marks Place, in the former home of Pinkberry. A soft opening is scheduled for Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The rapidly expanding, Starbucks-esque chain boasts over 1,600 locations worldwide (including one in Union Square). The St. Marks franchise owner Andy Cheng’s first foray into the restaurant business. He’s not sure what the regular hours will be, but he has noticed many people walking around in the morning looking for coffee and at night looking for snacks, so it’s likely the cafe will serve its lattes and Belgian waffles early and late.