Pink Dolphin recently opened in Astoria, providing authentic Colombian coffee to the community. Photo credit: Pink Dolphin.
April 8, 2025 By Jessica Militello
Astoria just got a jolt of Colombian flavor—and it’s making waves.
Pink Dolphin, a new coffee-to-go shop in Astoria, has been turning heads since opening last month at 14-53 31st Ave. Just outside Horton’s Market, the cozy coffee spot is the passion project of local resident Marcel Ipince, bringing smooth, authentic Colombian coffee to the neighborhood.
“I wanted to create a locally based brand, something that we can be proud of here in Queens that has really high-quality coffee,” said Ipince.
Pink Dolphin’s Colombian coffee. Photo credit: Pink Dolphin.
A native New Yorker, Ipince has lived in Astoria for over a decade with his wife, who is Colombian. During their trips to her home country, he developed a deep appreciation for Colombia’s rich, high-quality coffee. Though he holds a physics degree from NYU and spent years leading engineering teams at start-ups, Ipince felt inspired to channel his entrepreneurial background into something more personal: sharing Colombian coffee with his community.
Over the years, he built a strong rapport with John Horton, the owner of Horton’s Market, who supported his vision and offered the space out front to build the shop. Pink Dolphin has quickly become a welcome addition to the neighborhood—perfect for busy commuters or anyone in need of a flavorful caffeine boost.
Pink Dolphin provides rich Colombian coffee on the go. Photo credit: Pink Dolphin.
“This was all made possible through another local business, family owned and operated, and John Horton was really the one to spur the idea,” said Ipince. “I designed and built this whole place, so it’s really a labor of love.”
Ipince named the shop Pink Dolphin after the Amazon river dolphin, which inhabits places throughout the Amazon and Orinoco rivers, including Colombia. The rare animal lives only in freshwater and is known for its unique pink coloring.
“Just like our coffee, they’re very unique,” said Ipince. “My wife and I really liked the sort of connection and representation of our coffee with an animal that’s very unique, rare, very pretty, and also to bring attention to the fact that they’re endangered because my wife and I are very eco-conscious.”
Pink Dolphin uses eco-friendly coffee cups that are recyclable and compostable. Photo credit: Pink Dolphin.
Customers who’ve visited the shop or seen the cafe’s Instagram page will notice that Pink Dolphin’s coffee cups are unique. Ipince spent a great deal of time finding a company that would manufacture the perfect eco-friendly coffee cup without plastic, which is compostable.
“I wanted to create a cozy little ultra-coffee corner,” Ipince said. “My hope is to grow at a steady pace here and, with a little luck, expand into a full brick-and-mortar shop by next year.”
