Tucked away on 888 Newark Avenue, near Jersey City’s Journal Square neighborhood, is a sprawling, two million-square-foot arts facility. Among the many offerings in its portfolio, Mana Contemporary is an art studio and museum — a home for the artists and art organizations that color our community. Earlier this year, Mana Contemporary teamed up with Evan Santiago of Jersey City’s Hybrid Coffee + Kitchen to add another descriptor to the multi-purpose space. Hybrid Coffee’s second location is now open on the ground floor of Mana Contemporary, serving up its beloved menu of coffees, teas, and other cafe fare. The goal is to create an all-day experience for Jersey City residents; one fueled by caffeine and curiosity. Keep reading to learn more about Hybrid Coffee’s new location inside Jersey City’s Mana Contemporary art space.
About Hybrid Coffee + Kitchen
Hybrid Coffee started in Jersey City as a mobile coffee cart. Parked in the same spot at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, the coffee shop truly was a hybrid: not completely brick-and-mortar, but not completely mobile.
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The brainchild of longtime Jersey City resident Evan Santiago, the Hybrid Coffee Cart quickly grew popular in town. Part of this popularity can probably be attributed to the sheer conceptual charm (an old horse trailer reimagined into a cafe), but even greater was the palpable sense of community woven into every detail. Evan designed the cart, created the menu, and dedicated himself to studying the art and science of coffee. The goal was to give locals an opportunity to slow down, an experience he had only found in two places: the cafes of Sorrento, Italy, and the Italian delis of his childhood in The Heights. 
^Hybrid Coffee Cart
In November of 2019, Hybrid parked its cart for good and opened a traditional storefront in The Heights, serving up its same menu of self-roasted coffees and expanding its food menu. Evan doesn’t identify as a baker, but just like the coffee, committed himself to learning and got involved in every step of the process. He even started making waffles from scratch.
Two years later, Hybrid relocated again to its current storefront at 398 Manila Avenue Jersey City. Despite the geographic change, Evan’s vision for the cafe has always remained the same: he thinks of it as an extension of his living room and invites locals to hang around for a while.
Taking the name Hybrid Coffee + Kitchen, the cafe currently serves up a selection of espresso drinks, teas, drip coffee, and smoothies. The food — primarily breakfast offerings — includes avocado toast, brioche french toast, and bacon, egg, and cheese on a homemade Belgium waffle.
The Expansion to Mana
In early 2024, Hybrid cut the ribbon to its second Jersey City location inside Mana Contemporary. The cafe sits on the first floor, right near the entrance.
For Evan, expansion to Mana felt natural: he described the relationship between the art studio and the cafe as “symbiotic,” with hopes that the two grow in tandem with each other. In a past life, Evan was a creative in corporate advertising, so has always appreciated the importance of the arts within a community. The team at Mana feels similarly, too, hoping that the space becomes a culinary destination in which Jersey City residents can have a full-day experience.
Right now, Hybrid’s cafe inside Mana Contemporary has a robust coffee and beverage selection, with a few pastries to enjoy, too. The shop is open 8AM – 4PM on weekdays and closed on the weekends.
About Mana Contemporary
Mana Contemporary Art Facility is a two million-square-foot arts facility with a portfolio of services that includes art collection management, climate-controlled storage, crating, framing, shipping, conservation, and restoration.
Right now, the Dan Flavin: cornered fluorescent light gallery installation illuminates the first floor and is open for visiting by appointment only Monday – Friday. A new exhibit, called INFÂNCIA curated by Amelia Shields, just opened on May 16th and runs until June 21st. To schedule a tour, you can email [email protected].
The Mana complex is centered around what was once a tobacco processing factory. Moving company mogul Moishe Mana and artist Yigal Ozer opened it up as an art center in May 2011. It’s easily accessible by the PATH train at the Journal Square station and nestled into the end of Jersey City’s Little India, providing excellent restaurant and grocery choices just steps from the facility.
See More: A Look Inside the Montclair Art Museum + Everything It Has to Offer
Just yesterday, Mana hosted its Spring Open Studios event where artists, collectors, gallerists, curators, and art enthusiasts. You can browse the full events calendar here.
For the team at Mana, it’s essential that the museum has a connection to the community, and Hybrid Coffee is a direct conduit to forging this connection. Evan says he’s “growing where he’s planted,” and from our view, the garden is flourishing.
