By Gabriela Resto-Montero
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
UPPER EAST SIDE — In a neighborhood chock ablock with chain coffee shops, an independently owned espresso bar has opened its doors at a prime location — a former Dunkin' Donuts.
The cafe, Luna Espresso, which opened last month at the corner of 1593 First Avenue and East 83rd Street, is a novelty for a neighborhood that has 10 Starbucks in a seven-block radius.
The industry giant doesn't scare owner Lance Marlo.
"Looking at a coffee shop like Starbucks, people go in there because it's on their way from the house to the train," Marlo said. "But when I looked at espresso bars, people go out of their way to go there."
Marlo, a 43-year-old Brooklyn resident who juggles running the shop with his day job as a land surveyor for a construction company, said he was a recent convert to coffee drinking: he didn't have his first cup until five years ago.
After that first taste with his construction crew, finding the perfect cup in New York became Marlo's singular drive. His search took him to shops in Brooklyn, California and The Netherlands.
Marlo then bought a Clover Espresso machine and set up shop in a community that he figures knows a thing or two about good taste.
"There's no one around there doing the same thing," Marlo said of the specialty coffee options in the neighborhood.
The shop features an open and bright dining room where patrons take advantage of the free Wi-Fi to work on their computers.
Next to the espresso machine, a vase of daisies welcomes customers.
Muffins, croissants and pastries come from Eli Zabar, a local market, while Cafe Pronto, an Annapolis-based roaster, provides the coffee beans.
Natalie Barnett, who lives a block away from the bar, stops by for cappuccinos.
"I like the idea of supporting a small business owner," Barnett said.
A cup of coffee at Luna Espresso will cost you $2.50 for a 12-ounce cup, slightly more than coffee at chain stores, which runs a little under $2.
The difference in price is due to a higher quality of coffee, said Duane Maro, Lance Marlo's brother and manager at the shop.
"When you pay $4 for a cappuccino, they're getting what they expect," Lance Marlo said. "It's not just 'here's your coffee and go'."
