With consumers increasingly squeezed by the high cost of living, Matto Espresso is turning heads in the Big Apple with its $3 coffee menu. Founded in 2016, the small-format operator has scaled to 38 stores in New York and has its sights set on reaching 300 US sites across the US within five years. Co-founder Jennifer Maman speaks to World Coffee Portal about how Matto’s low overheads and focus on affordability enable it to stand out in one of the world’s most crowded coffee hotspots
In a city where a latte can set you back $7-plus, one chain is pushing back against sky high coffee prices with a business model that embeds affordable quality at its core.
Jennifer and Moshe Maman founded Matto Espresso in 2016 alongside their business partner Shlomi Levi after being inspired by Italy’s renowned coffee culture, where €1 espresso and artisanal pastries are a daily staple.
After taking a career break to raise her children and keen to create ‘something tangible and revolutionary’ after a career in equity marketing, Jennifer Maman utilised skills honed from her professional journey and motherhood – especially ‘making challenging ideas approachable and actionable’ – to build Matto.
