Mad Cafe (Michael Dorgan, Queens Post)
June 8, 2020 By Michael Dorgan
A trendy and spacious cafe has opened on Queens Boulevard following three months of delays due to COVID-19.
Mad Café, opened its doors at 43-10 Queens Blvd. last week and is now brewing fresh coffee and serving pastries delivered daily from SPOT dessert bar in Flushing.
The 2,600 square-foot café was scheduled to launch in March but the spread of COVID-19 undermined the ownership group’s initial plans.
Joseph Froman, Clinton Oh and Sean Cho – who are also in the process of opening the Mad for Chicken restaurant on the same block – decided to hold off on opening during the pandemic due to staff safety concerns.
The café is now open for take-out, in accordance with city-wide restrictions.
Mad Cafe focuses on specialty coffees and lemonades, teas, pastries and desserts.
The coffee is sourced from Eldorado Roasters in Maspeth and the owners have come up with their own unique recipes. For example, they created the “MAD pink matcha,” which is a latte with green matcha layered on top of macadamia milk with a splash of strawberry. Another specialty is their “MAD lemonade,” which is a rich espresso drink mixed with lemonade.
MAD pink matcha (Facebook, Mad Cafe)
Each coffee batch is changed out every 30 minutes to maintain flavor while pastries and desserts are delivered fresh daily.
The cafe is currently open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week. However, the cafe will be open from 6 a.m. to midnight once the city restrictions due to COVID-19 are lifted.
A range of beers and wines will also be on the menu in the near future, according to store manager Debbie Harris.
“The goal was to create a space where people can come to relax and hang out,” Harris said.
Live music, poetry slams, open mic nights and other forms of entertainment will also be put on for customers.
The barn-style café, which formerly housed Amazon pharmacy, has been gutted to reveal the building’s original timber and brick walls. Vintage wooden decor has been put up along with various farm-related antiques and new ceiling windows give the café plenty of natural light.
There are big sofas, large wooden tables, and chairs at the rear.
“The pictures don’t do it justice, you really have to come and see it,” Harris said.
Mad Cafe, 43-10 Queens Blvd. (Facebook)
