Matto Espresso, the discount coffee chain that has been the affordable go-to for sleep-deprived NYU students for years, has opened a new location inside the Stern School of Business building on campus. It replaces Sosnoff Cafe, a coffee shop that previously operated at the location but closed permanently at the start of the pandemic.

The chain has a nearby location on Mercer Street, which has long been popular among NYU students because of its convenient location and cheap coffee — which recently increased in cost from $2 to $2.50 due to inflation. And it’s not just the coffee that’s cheap — everything sold at Matto costs $2.50, including tea, pastries and more.

Unlike other on-campus coffee shops, Matto’s NYU location will not accept meal swipes or Dining Dollars.

“Among other reasons, Matto was chosen for their food quality, affordability, sustainability practices, diverse workforce and size,” Stern’s chief operations officer Neil Rader said, announcing the opening of the store. “In addition to their current in-store selection, Matto will be adding salads, soups, fruit and yogurt bowls to meet the needs of our community.”

The Sosnoff Cafe was open for 15 years and shuttered its doors permanently due to COVID-19. After it closed, NYU formed a committee of students, administrators and faculty to decide on a new cafe to fill the space. 

NYU junior Rajan Srinivasan wishes it would accept meal plan swipes or dining dollars as payment like the NYU Starbucks location on West Fourth Street and the Peet’s Coffee location in the Kimmel Center for University Life.

“I’ll go to the new location — I like their food,” Srinivasan said. “But I’d probably use it more if I could use Dining Dollars or meal swipes. It would give me more of an incentive to go.”

Harrison Wang, an NYU junior, said that although he has not yet been to the new on-campus Matto, he thinks that it is good to have more affordable options for coffee and pastries near campus and that he plans to visit soon.  

“If you’re looking for a low cost option that’s solid and convenient then that’s probably one of the go-tos,” Wang said. “I’m curious to see about the decision of why specifically in Stern, and not somewhere else where more students would frequent because it might be a little bit out of the way for some students.”

Matto’s new NYU location is open to students Monday through Thursday from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. The coffee shop can be accessed by entering the Henry Kaufman Management Center building at 44 W. Fourth St.

Contact Evelyn Chen at [email protected].