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My dad once said to me, "You know at the end of the day it's just coffee."

While that may be a funny thing to say to someone just getting set on opening their own coffee shop, he's not completely wrong. Yes, coffee is coffee but I assure you that the experience here is going to be a whole lot different than picking up a cup of Joe at the deli. I became interested in coffee the same way I'm sure a lot of people do - a little bit bored and too much time on the internet.

I realized quickly that while it's routinely ranked the top three most consumed beverages in the world, I hadn't the slightest idea what the coffee process was. I would wager most people had no idea what it was either. I love to cook, so I dug more into it, it seemed like the roasting process was no different than roasting a chicken. "I could probably figure this out." Five months later I opened For The Record.

The vinyl portion of FTR was only recently added about two months before I found the space that we all know and love. Over the past few years I found myself collecting rare coins, vintage trading cards, and obscure art pieces from contemporary artists (shout out Thundermates). During quarantine, my girlfriend an I listened to a ton of Nina Simone, Otis Redding, and other classics from the 60s-90s. Logically, I turned to vinyl to bring the freshest sound to the coffeeshop. I loved the skips and scratches - all the imperfections of a well loved piece of vinyl.

When I found 1107 Manhattan Avenue I knew right away that this would be the perfect spot to bring this half cooked idea to life. I saw that I could make the space bigger and I knew that it would make a perfect vinyl record room. Coffee and vinyl music have some of the strongest communities out there and bringing people together under one roof is a dream come true. I hope to create a unique and incredibly welcoming atmosphere in a time when we have become the most separated.

-Lucas Deysine, Owner of For The Record

 

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Meet The Man With The Plan.

Lucas Deysine was born and raised in lower Manhattan, where he first learned the craft of cooking from his parents and from there, he ventured into the hospitality industry. Lucas gained valuable experience working front and back of house roles in acclaimed restaurants in New York City and Washington D.C.

While managing a restaurant during COVID, Lucas saw firsthand how brutal the effects of the pandemic were on the service industry and hospitality as a whole. Without the ability to come together over food and drink, it was easy to become disillusioned, but Lucas took it in stride.

Lucas used the extra time from a flexible COVID Schedule to learn how to roast coffee, something he always wanted to do. The more he learned about the science and intricacies behind roasting and brewing the faster the concept for his own shop began to take place.

In addition to his talents  in the kitchen, Lucas has always had a love for collecting and has been very successful in reselling circles. His girlfriend introduce him to vinyl and they began to grow and expand their collection together.

Lucas soon left the restaurant he was managing to pursue opening his own shop and never looked back.

For The Record may be Lucas' first shop, but it won't be the last. Stay tuned, he's got a lot of ideas and an incredible knack for making people and projects come together in unexpected ways.