Teaffee Brothers Bring Love of Tea and Coffee To Carroll Gardens

Over the past year, many in South Brooklyn have lamented the invasion of chains such as 16 Handles, Bareburger and others, in an area once dominated by mom 'n' pop shops. But one new Carroll Gardens business has been unfairly swept up in the fray: Teaffee, located at 517 Court Street.

Opened in late March by brothers Meno and David Fernandez, the corner cafe offers an array of more than 80 teas, craft coffee drinks, as well as pastries, sandwiches and ice cream from inside of a modern space decorated in brown, tropical greens and white. 

"I guess we look like a franchise?" says Meno Fernandez. "A lot of people come in thinking that we're a chain. But we just have one store. This is a family-owned business!"

Wearing matching Teaffee t-shirts, the Fernandez brothers split responsibilities for the business, with Meno handling day-to-day operations while David consults on partnerships with wholesalers.

Both, however, were always "big into coffee," says Meno. Before opening the shop, the pair traveled to Portland, Oregon, to immerse themselves in coffee culture and participated in various workshops on specialty coffee and tea preparation. 

Finding the name for their business was a little less strategic.

"We were out having something to eat and David was getting over a cold," Meno recalls, explaining how a waitress came around to their table with a coffee pot and accidentally poured some into his brother's tea cup. "Enjoy your teaffee," kidded Meno at the time. And the inside joke stuck.

But the Fernandez brothers are very serious when it comes to brewing, steeping and such.

"We understand quality and we bring that quality to everything we do," says David. "If you order a coffee, we prepare it with Chemex. If you order a tea, every cup is either prepared in a French press or with a diffuser, depending upon the tea."

For now, all of Teaffee's coffee and non-tea provisions come from Brooklyn artisans: The brothers currently offer Dallis Brothers coffee and Forty Weight espresso. Red Mango prepares all of the pastries, while the sandwiches come from Luscious Bakery in Park Slope. 

Down the road, David says he hopes to sell gift packages featuring all of the wares in a retail area of the cafe. His brother, meanwhile, plans to offer a calendar of events programming, such as coffee cuppings, pour-over instruction, tea tastings, and more. 

Until then, the brothers invite neighbors to simply come in and have a cup of Joe or discover a new tea. David prefers oolongs, which have a little more kick.

"I'm a little different, a little more mellow," says Meno. "I like to ease into my day with a green tea."

In addition to black teas, oolongs, green teas and white teas, the cafe also sells Pu-erh—an aged tea that has been naturally oxidized over time—and Yerba Mate, a tea alternative high in caffeine.

For kids, the brothers recommend rooibois, an herbal tea with zero caffeine. Teens may prefer a "meeesh" shake combining ice milk with coffee, caramel sauce, chocolate sauce and tea-based ice creams like Earl Grey and Chai Masala.

"There are so many different types of teas," says David. "You really don't know what you like until you begin to try them all."