Welcome to Writes & Bites — a series where creative writing MFA student Arianna Gundlach reviews a cool writing spot in New York City and tackles a writing topic that’s been weighing on your mind. In NSFP’s final Writes & Bites installment, we look at % Arabica’s Dumbo Roastery location at the foot of the Brooklyn Bridge.

Hello, dear readers and writers. I’ve been expecting you.

I can’t believe this is Writes & Bites’ last installment. It seems like yesterday I was pitching this series during my first semester with the New School Free Press. I had the entire two years of my graduate program ahead of me, and I was still scared shitless of New York City. Now, look at me … still scared shitless. I’m joking! (For the most part.) This series pushed me to go on adventures, even when I had no one to go with. It kept my writing muscle limber and nurtured a saucy little voice I didn’t know I had the guts to write. Writes & Bites led me to a more evolved version of myself as a writer and a person. And I just want to thank —

Alright, that’s enough. Before I start blubbering, let’s see what’s in store at our final writing spot of the semester.

If you’ve seen a café on social media with a stunning view of the Brooklyn Bridge, it’s probably % Arabica. While I had never heard of the café outside of New York, % Arabica is a global chain with 227 stores across four continents. Their first store opened in Kyoto, Japan (which explains their Kyoto latte), and their U.S. flagship is the Dumbo location I visited in Brooklyn.

Though the spot is technically in Dumbo, it’s only a nine-minute walk from where I live in Brooklyn Heights, so I’d say it straddles the boundary between the two neighborhoods. This location owes its solid reputation to the view, wide window seating, clean aesthetic, and exceptional coffee (according to many Yelp reviews). So keep these expectations in mind.

I always say to get to writing spots early, but % Arabica’s hours vary across their website (even the NY/LA page and location-specific pages are different), Google, and Yelp pages. And apparently none of them are correct. When I asked a barista, they said % Arabica is currently open daily from 7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., but the hours are subject to change. And no, the hours aren’t posted on their door or inside the establishment either. I like guessing a café’s hours just as much as guessing what’s on their menu — not at all.

Speaking of the menu, their food offerings aren’t listed online and though their drinks are online, you’ll have to get reacquainted with the options by the register in person. And if you read my previous installment about Georgie’s Café, you know I don’t like browsing and ordering at the same time.

As I had jumped out of bed to get there as close to opening as possible, I arrived at % Arabica hungry. Walking up to the register, I was met with an empty food case — puzzling. I thought perhaps they weren’t serving food until later, as some cafés make freshly baked goods daily and the offerings roll out as they’re ready. However, when I asked, the barista said they were out of food due to an issue with their bakery delivery from Balthazar. This was particularly disappointing before eight in the morning and something that was worth mentioning on their Instagram story. 

But on any other day, according to the barista I spoke to, they usually have a plain croissant, chocolate croissant, blueberry cheese Danish, sticky bun with pecans, canelé, and an apple galette. Their drink menu adds (Kyoto latte, Spanish latte, dark latte) and subtracts (no mocha, traditional macchiato, cortado, or cappuccino) from caffeinated staples. Most come with a hot or iced option, except the espresso, espresso macchiato, and lemonade — which comes in sparkling or still. They also carry sparkling and still Saratoga Spring Water in glass bottles.

I ordered a dark latte, which appeared to be the sweetest option according to its description: “uses premium French cocoa to create a rich chocolaty taste with an enhanced creaminess to balance out the deep coffee flavors.”

Again, according to Yelp reviews, the coffee was meant to be impeccable. Maybe I don’t have the palate to determine that, but the coffee seemed average at best. Nothing to put it over the top; nothing to condemn it entirely. And nice foam art can’t make up for taste. The dark latte seemed to be their substitute for a mocha, though it wasn’t quite chocolatey enough for me.

Even the water I got was some of the least refreshing bottled water I’ve ever had. And remember, this was a glass bottle too, the “epitome” of sophistication.

But whether your drink hits the spot or not, you can still sit down and enjoy the view. Along the almost floor-to-ceiling, rounded windows is a long stretch of white tables and 13 butt-supportive swivel stools. Now, I say butt-supportive stools because the ovular cushions are shaped well, and there’s a little lip at the back, which your behind sits right up against. I highly appreciate a seat that supports your butt instead of making it go numb.

For more seating, there’s also three outdoor wooden tables with four chairs each. And for standing room inside, there are two free-standing tables in the center of the space.

Black dividers break up the rounded windows, which slightly kills the aesthetic for pictures. People come to marvel at the view: taking pictures, staring awestruck, and generally gawking. So if you prefer to be a little more anonymous, this may not be the place for you.

Looking out the window listening to “Waiting on a Wish” by Rachel Zegler (say what you want about the movie, but I stand by this song), I was entranced into a wistful and contemplative mood. Windows are like wishing wells in that way — they make us reflect.

So while we’re reflecting, let’s go back to those expectations.

·       The view — check (minus the dividers).

·       Wide window seating — check.

·       Clean aesthetic — check (brick interior, white appliances, neutral accents).

·       Exceptional coffee — I have to say no.

And I’m going to add these next two.

·       ANY food — nope.

·       Reliable hours, somewhere — NO. 

% Arabica falls short of its reputation. Learn from % Arabica’s mistakes, dear writers, and represent your work well. Pitch expectations you can deliver. Unlike forgiving café goers, agents and editors may not give you a second chance. They are set on what they want. Remember, first impressions matter, and you never know who might have the opportunity you’re looking for. Treat every opportunity to represent your work as if there’s a book deal on the line — because one day, there will be.

Know your pitch. Expect the question, “So what’s your book about?” Because people are going to ask, from friends and family to agents, editors, grant and fellowship committees — even readers eventually. Pitch logistics come down to genre, perspective (why are you the one to tell this story), premise, and comp titles (published works comparable to yours). When you have a full manuscript, also include your rounded word count (e.g. 75,000). Your pitch will become your query letter to agents and your query letter will become the language that’s used on the back and cover and inside flap of your published book.

It all starts with you.

Meet expectations. If you pitched a contemporary thriller that’s Pretty Little Liars meets The Summer I Turned Pretty (what an interesting read), deliver on those genre conventions and appropriate tropes. Pitches and queries get you in the door, but pages seal the deal.

Pick the best excerpts to submit as part of applications and read aloud. These may be different since some selections land better on the page than they do when spoken aloud. Know the difference, you’ll be able to hear it when you practice.

Do your research. Read the acknowledgements at the end of your favorite books. These will help you find agents and editors that might respond the best to your work. Publishers Marketplace can also identify corresponding agents and editors. Double check what agents are looking for and what their response rate is like. This can be done by visiting their agency page, Publishers Marketplace profile, or QueryTracker statistics.

My time reflecting at % Arabica made me realize how much of a grown-up I’ve become over these past two years — back then, I don’t know if I would have come to an unfamiliar café by myself. I probably would have talked myself out of it. Of course, I still prefer visiting new places with a friend. With Christine Ro’s witty insights, Sally Deen’s thoughtful observations, Kea Humilde’s infectious energy, and Kayley Cassidy’s memorable banter — how could I not? Yes, that was my way of giving some well deserved shoutouts.

And you, my readers, I hope I met your expectations. Whether that was finding a new writing spot in the city, implementing a piece of writing advice, or just enjoying some quality writing. Even if there are few of you, I consider it all worth it.

When I said this was Writes & Bites’ last installment, I wasn’t being entirely truthful. While Writes & Bites will be retired at the Free Press after I graduate (by the time this is published), I am happy to announce that it will be continuing as a Substack publication. You can subscribe here. So please, no tears today. Writes & Bites will live to see another day in another city, or perhaps, a few. As always, keep writing and I will too.

Farewell, readers and writers. I’ll be expecting you.

% Arabica

20 Old Fulton St., Brooklyn

(718) 865-2551

https://arabica.com/en/location/arabica-ny-dumbo-roastery/

Commute 26 minutes from the UC via subway (A/C)	Hours Daily: 7:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m. (hours are subject to change by season)
Tech Private Wi-Fi; ask for password. Tappable pay available. No outlets.	Noise Level Moderate.
Gems View of the Brooklyn Bridge. Butt-supportive stools. Wide window seating.	Atmosphere Minimalist, clean aesthetic with great view. Small space without feeling claustrophobic.
Be Aware Bathroom straight across from main entrance. No reliable posted hours. Fills up by 9:30 a.m.	Rating 1.5/4 Stars – based on The New York Times star system: “ratings range from zero to four stars. Zero is poor, fair or satisfactory. One star, good. Two stars, very good. Three stars, excellent. Four stars, extraordinary.”