Comments on: Not a Murky mystery

By: Some Guy

Some Guy — Sun, 16 May 2010 03:23:42 +0000

Say there Nick, are you planning on your new store being as pretentious as the last one? I’m sure that one thing the DC market always wants is more 20-something douchebags to sneer at customers who don’t want to comply with your edicts on how coffee is to be ingested.

By: Ryan

Ryan — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 18:46:53 +0000

I’ve heard that Wrecking Ball Coffee (a fantastic name!) has been changed to something awful like Chinatown Coffee & Tea. PLEASE, Nick…stick with your first instinct on this.

By: Ari

Ari — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 04:52:12 +0000

Derek, if you’re still in town, the answer is yes, you’re missing a lot. Peregrine is AMAZING, but -not- “the last good cup in D.C.”. SOVA, Big Bear Cafe and Sticky Fingers Vegan Bakery (serving up Intelly with the pastries) are all absolutely worth your time. And for interesting press pot, you could try Grape and Bean in Old Town Alexandria.

Best of luck Nick, can’t wait to visit the new store and sample the roast!

By: derek dyson

derek dyson — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 03:43:58 +0000

Thanks for the tip Tom. I’ll try and make it by tomorrow.

By: Tom Bridge

Tom Bridge — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 02:53:54 +0000

Head to Peregrine Espresso on the Hill, Derek. They’re absolutely top drawer. With murky gone for good, they’re the last good cup in DC.

By: derek dyson

derek dyson — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 01:34:48 +0000

Darleen,

I was waiting for you to chime in about that. I’ve been in D.C. for a week now and have had sh*t for coffee everywhere I go. I wasn’t planning on murky being closed when I got here so its kinda got me bummed….luckily I always travel with a grinder and press pot (and I brought some of my own Salvadoran naturals that are making my mornings quite nice).

D.C. should have a better coffee culture in my opinion….unless I am missing something.

Derek Dyson
Topeca Coffee, Tulsa OK

By: Darleen

Darleen — Tue, 05 May 2009 22:44:56 +0000

Nick,

As a women-owned, specialty, small batch coffee roasters for the past 7 years, I’d like to correct this statement:

“When we start, Wrecking Ball Coffee Roasters will be the only woman-owned top-end specialty coffee roaster of its caliber in the country (probably the world actually), and the new Chinatown shop is going to be part of the whole new plan.”

Darleen
Gorilla Coffee, Brooklyn

By: Brett Glass

Brett Glass — Fri, 01 May 2009 03:54:19 +0000

So he’s a barista, not an accountant. Some people are naturally good craftsman but don’t have a head for business. He’s already paid for his inability to run the business. I say, if making coffee is what he is good at, let him do it.

By: Tim

Tim — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 22:06:32 +0000

Thanks Nick…..but riddle me this….Why should those of us in Chinatown / Penn Quarter support any business that you have your hands in? It’s public knowledge that you repeatedly avoid one of the basic principles (like it or not) of being a citizen……paying taxes.
Thanks but no thanks. I personally hope that until you correct your business practices any successes you have in our neighborhood are short lived.

By: Jay'O

Jay'O — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 18:26:40 +0000

Hey Marcus: Sounds like sour grapes to me! Instead of putting down DC city folk, why don’t you just join us for a cup of Joe on H street!

By: Don

Don — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 18:01:31 +0000

Well really, it’s not our obligations as customers to police people’s tax compliance. That’s up to the government to enforce and I’d hope they do so consistently and constantly.

So if customers are otherwise happy with the Murky experience, why shouldn’t they patronize them? Virginia law prohibits the government from disclosing tax status to uninvolved third parties so it’s not like you could really know for sure a business’ status anyway.

By: Marcus

Marcus — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 17:50:26 +0000

This Cho guy is something else. He’s getting chased down for taxes everywhere he goes and as he’s eluding the tax man, he’s hyping his new venture. I’d say this guy is an idiot, but it seems that DC consumers are even bigger idiots, since they continually follow him with their open wallets.

By: Krempasky

Krempasky — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 03:56:14 +0000

So the signs and rumors of Arlington county auctioning off your stuff in response to MORE tax problems in virginia…PLEASE PAY NO ATTENTION TO THE MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN.

Sounds more like, new name/new ownership structure/clean slate with the taxman.

By: TheDenverite

TheDenverite — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 20:36:52 +0000

Damn. Lived near Murky for a year, kept meaning to go in there, never got around to it. My loss. :(

By: Nick Cho

Nick Cho — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 18:56:45 +0000

Oh… and “murky coffee” may make a comeback at some point in one form or another.

By: Nick Cho

Nick Cho — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 18:56:14 +0000

Well, that’s not really why “Wrecking Ball Coffee.”

We’re getting a coffee-roasting company together, to be owned by my girlfriend Trish Rothgeb Skeie (old article), who is an accomplished coffee roaster and green coffee buyer. To me, “murky coffee” doesn’t work as well as a wholesale coffee roasting brand, and with Trish and I each “recovering” from recent divorces and such, a new start engendered a new brand name.

When we start, Wrecking Ball Coffee Roasters will be the only woman-owned top-end specialty coffee roaster of its caliber in the country (probably the world actually), and the new Chinatown shop is going to be part of the whole new plan.

Stay tuned for developments on the roasting company. In the mean time, there’s a placeholder over at http://www.wreckingballcoffee.com.

Thanks for caring, y’all!

Nick