Good & Gather

ABOVE PHOTO: RYAN NEEVEN, PITTSBURGH

GATHER, A COFFEE SHOP, design showroom and event space, recently opened on NYC’s Lower East Side. Owner Bridgid Zimerbort drew inspiration from her family’s history in the area, where her immigrant forebears operated businesses. In fact, Gather operates at 54 Orchard St., where her grandfather ran a shoe store from 1979 to 1994. Her father operated an adjacent clothing store from 1984 to 2007.

With dedicated spaces for private events, classes and workshops – and with cozy furnishings and a calming, dark color palette – Gather is both a coffee shop and a community hub.

But it’s Zimerbort’s experience in interior design, food service and management that comes together at Gather. For years, Zimerbort dreamed of a place where people could sit, eat, drink, converse, create and “expand their perceptions.” Gather’s large glass façade easily transmits a sociable and welcoming vibe. There are plenty of seating options for those who want a quick bite or for those who want to linger. Coffee plays a large role at Gather, along with a market featuring pantry items and fresh products from local farmers and artisans. The menu includes pastries, sandwiches, salads, smoothies and seasonal bowls made onsite in an open kitchen.

“I wanted to create a sense of welcoming and transparency,” says Zimerbort. For that, she turned to architect Nicki Gitlin of design firm dang (New York). “To me, this translated to opening the front of the space, making it accessible to the fast-paced New York lifestyle in which people often grab a coffee and turn right back around,” Gitlin says.

Gitlin seized the opportunity to create a storefront with a glass vestibule and window seat. Inside, her plan stripped the previous office space to its bones, exposing concrete floors and columns original to the 2009-era building. The newly ground and sealed concrete floor reads clean and modern industrial, as does the blacked-out exposed ceiling with track lighting. Extensive use of wood throughout the walls and tables warms Gather’s ambience. The long and narrow 1200-square-foot space posed challenges, which Gitlin turned into an opportunity for intimacy. A 20-foot-long bar visually grounds the space, followed by a series of cozy crannies for customers to cluster.

Luxe finishes such as the stone-topped bar and textural wall treatments are examples of product from the Philip Stein Design Collective, whose showroom specializing in hospitality design, shares space with Gather. It’s a symbiotic collaboration that provides both with business exposure. Gather provides the showroom with a tangible presence through products and finishes, while the showroom contributes to customers as clients walk through the cafe to their showroom appointments. Seeking additional connections to the community, Gather offers art and cooking workshops and classes. Private events and chef tastings are in the mix as well.

PHOTO GALLERY (34 IMAGES)
RYAN NEEVEN, PITTSBURGH