A Taste Of New York Lands In Bangsar At The Coach Coffee Shop

Yes, there’s coffee. But there’s also cartoon mascots, deconstructed hot chocolate, and a soft serve that tastes like pizza.

It was last week that, on an overcast afternoon, I was invited down to visit the Coach Coffee Shop in APW Bangsar. Within walking distance from my office, I didn’t quite feel like lugging the bags I had on me around, and so I prudently (read: lazily) jumped into a Grab. Part of Coach’s desire to expand into immersive lifestyle spaces beyond its usual repertoire, this particular outpost happens to be the largest expression of the Coach Coffee Shop globally, as well as the second to open in Malaysia.

Upon reaching APW and venturing in, you’ll spot a pair of signs pointing the way to the café along the path. They’re more useful than you might expect, as the shop is hidden away behind a corner to the right of the main entrance and inconspicuous enough that chances are you’d miss it without those prompts. I know I would have.

A playful scene greets you as you arrive at the space. The first thing that’ll catch your eye is a walk-up window framed in warm wood that sits beside a cartoonish coffee cup striding jauntily across the wall in neon. Turn the corner to head to the entrance and you’ll find rows of low, boxy stools and squat tables that rest with a schoolyard orderliness beneath a canopy of steel beams, the industrial accents of which stay softened by the surrounding greenery. Overhead, a glowing neon sign declares your arrival at The Coach Coffee Shop.

Venture inside and the interior unspools in front of you with its largely neutral backdrop, punctuated by pops of vivid colour. It borrows from the feel of a New York corner store, blending the wistful nostalgia of an American diner with playful branding encapsulated by Lil Miss Jo, the café’s resident mascot. The same Americana spirit permeates the menu, with plates such as the Reuben sandwich on rye, and a Grilled Cheese layered with a trio of complementary cheeses between house-made sourdough that comes paired alongside a hearty tomato soup.

Coffee, as you might expect, is central here, and the indulgent notes inherent in the roasts on offer are skillfully brought to the fore by the expert hands of the capable baristas. The hot chocolate is also a signature worth ordering: served deconstructed in three cups, one holding milk, another chocolate syrup, and the last filled with dark chocolate pieces shaped like Coach’s iconic “C”. That motif reappears across the menu, most notably as “C”-shaped ice cubes in the iced drinks.

After you’ve had your fill of the savouries, if you find yourself with extra room still, or have visited with friends in tow, it might be worth rounding off the experience with The Flight: a line-up of four flavours of soft serve made for sharing. These include the Cereal Milk, Key Lime Pie, Peanut Butter & Jelly, and the location-exclusive Pepperoni Pizza—the latter destined to divide opinion.

Be it for a quick brunch stop or a leisurely evening spent lingering over a cup of coffee, the Coach Coffee Shop offers a small pocket of escapism in Bangsar, being equal parts light-hearted and refined, and with a streak of nostalgia that’s never in danger of tipping into pastiche.

Coach Coffee Shop