Newark Coffee Shop Wins First-Ever ‘Battle Of The Bean’

NEWARK, NJ — When the dust had cleared, despite a tasty showing from some of Newark’s finest coffee shops, there was a clear winner to the first-ever “Battle of the Bean”: Sihana Café.

The Newark Alliance, a nonprofit dedicated to aiding the ongoing economic revitalization of the Brick City, recently announced the winner of its inaugural Battle of the Bean (BOTB) coffee tasting competition.

As part of the contest, eight local businesses provided coffee samples to nearly 500 customers, who later voted on their favorite “bean” and barista. The contestants included: Black Swan Espresso, Boss Blend Coffee Co., Blueprint Café, Casa Espresso, Method Climbing Café, PJ's Coffee of New Orleans, Sihana Café, and Sweetwaters Coffee & Tea.

Sihana Café’s Signature Coffee Blend took first place with 43 percent of votes. Following Sihana was Black Swan (30 percent) and Method Cafe (20 percent). The top three prizes received a glass coffee mug created by GlassRoots, a local nonprofit that provides creative and glass-art experiences in Newark.

Meanwhile, the “Best Barista’ prize went to Anthony Oliveira of Sihana Cafe, who received a Newark Gift Card prize.

“Serving ethically sourced and locally roasted coffee is at the center of our mission as a café,” said David Khabuliani of Sihana Café.

“We are privileged to be part of a community that recognizes our efforts and grateful to Newark Alliance for supporting small businesses,” Khabuliani added.

The event was a way to put the spotlight back on local coffee shops, which have struggled like other businesses during the coronavirus pandemic, organizers said.

“Despite improvements over the course of the pandemic, we’re seeing a persistent decline in foot traffic from workers, students, and visitors; and this isn’t just Newark, it’s happening in New York, Chicago, and Atlanta—all over America—but we are working to create Newark solutions, said Evan Weiss, president and CEO of the Newark Alliance.

“As more people stay home, treasured Newark small businesses have lost millions in sales revenue,” Weiss continued. “BOTB was a direct response to these challenges, as we strive to get workers, students, and visitors to be as engaged with the community as possible whenever they are here.”

The nonprofit announced the two-week BOTB competition in June as part of its (Re)Discover Newark return to the workplace initiative. (Re)Discover Newark is coordinated community development strategy that aims to drive spending Downtown to support small business recovery and increase community vibrancy post-pandemic. (Re)Discover Newark partners include Prudential Financial, Audible, the MCJ Amelior Foundation, and the Greater Newark Convention and Visitors Bureau. In addition to BOTB, recent (Re)Discover initiatives have included the launch of the community e-gift card, the Newark Gift Card and the (Re)Discover Downtown events and small business web portal.

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