Leonti has held similar roles at Back Bay Roasters, Coffee of Grace and Dell'Aria, and will use his experience at Caffé Nero US to relaunch Gregorys Coffee’s single origin programme
.png.aspx?lang=en-GB&width=700&height=493)
Jake Leonti, Director of Coffee | Photo credit: Gregorys Coffee
New York-based Gregorys Coffee has appointed industry veteran Jake Leonti as Director of Coffee in a move it said will further develop its specialty coffee offer.
Leonti is also tasked with strengthening Gregorys Coffee’s roasting operations and re-launching its in-store single origin programme. The coffee chain first launched ‘Gregorys Select’ in 2014 in partnership with fellow New York-based roaster and café chain Irving Farm.
With responsibilities covering sourcing, roasting, wholesale and coffee education, Leonti said in a LinkedIn post that he will use his experience to grow the Gregorys Coffee brand and support its national expansion. The coffee chain currently operates 37 outlets across New York, Connecticut, New Jersey and Washington DC.
“We have never had a ‘heavy hitter’ Director of Coffee before and it’s time we did. I’ve always felt good about our coffee programme but I want to feel amazing about it and that’s where Jake comes in. His passion for education and inclusion is exactly what Gregorys was looking for – someone that wasn’t just going to cup coffee and roast. We wanted a leader and communicator that could inspire others,” said Gregory Zamfotis, Founder and CEO, Gregorys Coffee.
Leonti started his coffee career in 2009 as a Sales Executive with US specialty coffee roaster and retailer La Colombe. He then held Director of Coffee roles at Boston-based Back Bay Roasters and New York’s Coffee of Grace and Dell’Aria. He also worked for Caffé Nero US between 2014-2020, where he developed the brand’s first filter coffee blend and single origin offering in the US and UK and launched its debut ready-to-drink (RTD) cold brew products internationally.
“I am excited to join Gregorys Coffee in the Director of Coffee position as we begin our national expansion and continue to grow this iconic brand. It’s an opportunity to work with a forward-thinking company and utilise my leadership style and value system with a like-minded business,” Leonti said.
Founded in 2006 in Manhattan, Gregorys Coffee is one of New York’s leading coffee chains. The business began roasting its own coffee in Long Island in 2016 and serves a large menu of hot and cold espresso-based coffee beverages and health-focused bakery items.