A new café at 178 Spring Street in SoHo has made cacao the centerpiece of its menu rather than coffee or tea. ÓOL, which its founders call New York's first dedicated cacao café, had opened by September 9, 2026, offering ethically sourced, single-origin cacao beverages blended to order alongside pastries and other cacao products, with no coffee or tea products.
Founder Ilana Gutierrez describes ÓOL as a modern taller de cacao, or cacao atelier, drawing on her upbringing in Mexico City and reintroducing what she frames as an ancient Mesoamerican cacao ritual in a contemporary format. According to WhatNow, Gutierrez developed the concept as a modern cacao atelier, where cacao is transformed into contemporary beverages and confections. The café's name itself reinforces its Mesoamerican framing.
A Bar Built Around Three Single-Origin Beans
At the center of the operation is a menu built entirely around three single-origin cacao varieties. There's Ecuadorian cacao, Colombian cacao, and Belizean cacao. Guests choose their cacao origin, a drink base of water, milk, or oat milk, and a spice-infused syrup — options include cardamom, chile, and ginger. Drinks are prepared to order at an open bar, and the menu also includes a cacao coconut cold brew made with cacao nibs.
ÓOL's bean sourcing is framed around ethical sourcing and support for growers, giving its cacao-focused menu an added emphasis on sourcing.
Design Rooted in Mesoamerican Craft
The café's physical space was designed by Mexico City-based Jorge Campos Estudio, as detailed by Patch. The bi-level space includes a central sculptural stone Cacao Bar, natural wood and leather seating, and custom-woven metal lamps crafted by Mexican artisans, according to that outlet's report. A lower-level studio intended for tastings, workshops, and gatherings is set to open in the coming weeks.
ÓOL's branding leans further into that craft tradition. Its graphic identity features linocut engravings of a capuchin monkey, a technique chosen for its deep roots in Mesoamerican artisan practice, according to Cantera Estudio. The monkey motif appears across packaging, store signage, and retail display altars throughout the shop.
ÓOL operates at 178 Spring Street in SoHo.
Pastries, Merch, and a No-Coffee Policy
Breads Bakery serves as ÓOL's exclusive pastry partner, supplying a cacao chip cookie, a cacao swirl pastry, and a cacao croissant made with cacao pod fruit. Beyond drinks and baked goods, the café sells cacao preparation kits, alongside an exclusive candle created with Kleio.
The commitment to cacao alone isn't a marketing afterthought. Recruitment notices for ÓOL specified that the business runs a dedicated cacao program with zero coffee or tea items on the menu, according to a job listing on New York Coffee Jobs. Baristas are trained to guide customers through custom single-origin selections at an open bar rather than pulling espresso shots.
Backed by Hospitality Veterans
ÓOL was developed in partnership with Silver Street Hospitality, a New York consulting firm, per WhatNow's reporting.
The café's debut highlights its focus on cacao as a raw material.
ÓOL's concept centers on cacao beverages rather than coffee.
For now, ÓOL is open Tuesday through Sunday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.; a barista listing states that the business operated from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day. The lower-level studio for tastings and workshops remains on track to open in the weeks ahead.
