CONGREGATION COFFEE, NEW ORLEANS
A new community: Congregation Coffee's second location opens uptown
CONGREGATION COFFEE, new orleans review
By Marielle Songy
Over five years since an Uptown coffee staple closed, Congregation Coffee Roasters has opened in the former CC's Coffee House space at the corner of Jefferson Avenue and Magazine Street. The Uptown location of Congregation Coffee Roasters, 900 Jefferson Ave., is the second location of the coffee roaster, which originated in Algiers Point and still operates a coffee shop at 240 Pelican Ave.
Congregation Coffee was founded in 2015 by Eliot Guthrie and business partner Ian Barrileaux. Patrick Brennan took over the business in 2023 and has since worked on expanding the coffee shop and roaster; in addition to the new Uptown location, Brennan also plans to open a Congregation Coffee location in the French Quarter.
The roasting side of Congregation Coffee is led by Zoe Underhill, who has brought her expertise and roasted over 28,500 lbs. of coffee beans for the company at their roasting location at 1746 Tchoupitoulas St. Underhill is an expert coffee roaster with over a decade of experience in the industry. She has held every position in the coffee business, from barista and roasting assistant to head roaster and green coffee buyer for Congregation Coffee. Becoming a green coffee buyer requires a certain level of knowledge about coffee that takes years to perfect.
Community Coffee was founded in 1919 by Henry Norman 'Cap' Saurage, and in 1995, CC’s Coffee House opened its first location at 900 Jefferson Ave. in a space that previously housed a pharmacy. The opening of this CC's location not only marked an expansion of the Community Coffee brand but also contributed to the establishment of the second-wave coffee movement in the city.
This movement, which put an emphasis on the social side of coffee and introduced popular drinks such as frappes and cappuccinos to the New Orleans public, marked a significant shift in local coffee culture. The spot would become popular over the next twenty-four years as a hub where locals could congregate, enjoy coffee, and chat about the day's events. When CC's Coffee House closed this location in 2019, it left a gap in the Uptown coffee scene.
Before Congregation Coffee Roasters could make the spot on Jefferson home, a few renovations needed to be completed. “After I took over Congregation, I got a call from a friend who was looking to get the property leased,” Brennan explains. “The full space was a little too big so the landlord decided to split the space into two units. That’s when I got a local architect involved to renovate the space.”
The result is a space with multiple tables and booths built with warm woods that adds cozy, homey feel to the café. Brennan explains that it was essential for the Congregation's team to create a place that felt distinctly Uptown New Orleans and the neighborhood has quickly welcomed the new coffee spot.
“We’ve been packed all day, every day,” Brennan says. “There’s not much difference between the Algiers location and the Uptown location. Both locations offer great coffee and pastries. We might offer sandwiches later. We made this new location a little fancy to fit into the Uptown feel and the Victorian building. For example, we added a little flourish to the windows to make them feel like they’ve been here since the building was built, which they have been. We’re also excited about the old wood floor that was covered by tile—it’s beautiful.”
By the end of the summer, Brennan hopes to open the French Quarter location of Congregation Coffee, which will blend seamlessly into the French Quarter's architectural style, just as the Uptown and Algiers locations do in their respective neighborhoods.
Congregation Coffee Roasters Uptown is open Thursday through Monday, 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. (closed Tuesday and Wednesday) Congregation Coffee Roasters in Algiers is open daily from 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Over five years since an Uptown coffee staple closed, Congregation Coffee Roasters has opened in the former CC's Coffee House space at the corner of Jefferson Avenue and Magazine Street. The Uptown location of Congregation Coffee Roasters, 900 Jefferson Ave., is the second location of the coffee roaster, which originated in Algiers Point and still operates a coffee shop at 240 Pelican Ave.
Congregation Coffee was founded in 2015 by Eliot Guthrie and business partner Ian Barrileaux. Patrick Brennan took over the business in 2023 and has since worked on expanding the coffee shop and roaster; in addition to the new Uptown location, Brennan also plans to open a Congregation Coffee location in the French Quarter.
The roasting side of Congregation Coffee is led by Zoe Underhill, who has brought her expertise and roasted over 28,500 lbs. of coffee beans for the company at their roasting location at 1746 Tchoupitoulas St. Underhill is an expert coffee roaster with over a decade of experience in the industry. She has held every position in the coffee business, from barista and roasting assistant to head roaster and green coffee buyer for Congregation Coffee. Becoming a green coffee buyer requires a certain level of knowledge about coffee that takes years to perfect.
Community Coffee was founded in 1919 by Henry Norman 'Cap' Saurage, and in 1995, CC’s Coffee House opened its first location at 900 Jefferson Ave. in a space that previously housed a pharmacy. The opening of this CC's location not only marked an expansion of the Community Coffee brand but also contributed to the establishment of the second-wave coffee movement in the city.
This movement, which put an emphasis on the social side of coffee and introduced popular drinks such as frappes and cappuccinos to the New Orleans public, marked a significant shift in local coffee culture. The spot would become popular over the next twenty-four years as a hub where locals could congregate, enjoy coffee, and chat about the day's events. When CC's Coffee House closed this location in 2019, it left a gap in the Uptown coffee scene.
Before Congregation Coffee Roasters could make the spot on Jefferson home, a few renovations needed to be completed. “After I took over Congregation, I got a call from a friend who was looking to get the property leased,” Brennan explains. “The full space was a little too big so the landlord decided to split the space into two units. That’s when I got a local architect involved to renovate the space.”
The result is a space with multiple tables and booths built with warm woods that adds cozy, homey feel to the café. Brennan explains that it was essential for the Congregation's team to create a place that felt distinctly Uptown New Orleans and the neighborhood has quickly welcomed the new coffee spot.
“We’ve been packed all day, every day,” Brennan says. “There’s not much difference between the Algiers location and the Uptown location. Both locations offer great coffee and pastries. We might offer sandwiches later. We made this new location a little fancy to fit into the Uptown feel and the Victorian building. For example, we added a little flourish to the windows to make them feel like they’ve been here since the building was built, which they have been. We’re also excited about the old wood floor that was covered by tile—it’s beautiful.”
By the end of the summer, Brennan hopes to open the French Quarter location of Congregation Coffee, which will blend seamlessly into the French Quarter's architectural style, just as the Uptown and Algiers locations do in their respective neighborhoods.
Congregation Coffee Roasters Uptown is open Thursday through Monday, 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. (closed Tuesday and Wednesday) Congregation Coffee Roasters in Algiers is open daily from 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.