Home Food + DrinkCoffee Hybrid Coffee: A Jersey City Cafe on Wheels

Hybrid Coffee: A Jersey City Cafe on Wheels

by Megan Joseph
Attain Medspa
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The only thing better than a cup of coffee in the morning is getting it from an authentic, mobile coffee shop complete with a cozy atmosphere and friendly staff. An ode to travel, family, and community, the Hybrid Coffee truck serves the full European espresso experience to its guests. Owner Evan Santiago opened the cafe in Jersey City’s Harborside on April 8th this year, pursuing his entrepreneurship dream. 

While traveling in Sorrento, Italy, Evan spent time at local cafes, watching Italians one-by-one rapidly order from a large espresso bar. After witnessing this efficiency and studying the art of coffee, he opened Hybrid. He now boasts an Astoria Rapallo AL lever pull espresso machine and Instagram-friendly truck to serve up some really delicious coffee. Self-taught brewer and baker Evan Santiago takes Hoboken Girl inside Hudson County’s only cafe on wheels. Read on to learn about Hybrid Coffee, a Jersey City cafe on wheels. 

hybrid coffee jersey city

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What’s on the Menu

hybrid coffee menu

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Hybrid offers a variety of choices to satisfy any caffeine craving every day — espresso drinks, drip coffee, single-origin pour-overs, nitro cold brew, and even hot chocolate. Oat, almond, and dairy milk options are available too. For a non-coffee option, try the wild berry hibiscus or peach iced teas.

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hybrid coffee pastries

Different pastries are delivered daily courtesy of Hoboken’s own Choc-o-Pain, a partner and good friend of Hybrid. Evan says the bakery’s artistic excellence is exactly the quality he wants to give his guests.

A true JC resident, Evan gets his beans from Modcup coffee company in The Heights, but brews everything in-house. He’s a longtime fan of Modcup because the beans are locally sourced.

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“[Modcup] has been a big inspiration for me,” he said. “We share the same vision to produce good quality coffee.”

Quality is a core value to Evan and his biggest concern before opening Hybrid was whether or not people would like the product. He spent a large amount of time perfecting the coffee {which he brews in his own home} as well as the creative aspects that make Hybrid so unique.

hybrid coffee espresso

As for the most popular drink on the menu, this season, it’s nitro cold brew {it’s been a hot summer}, but the cortado and cappuccino are all-time favorites.

See More: 14 Coffee Shops Open Late in Hoboken + Jersey City

About the Owner

evan santiago hybrid coffee

Believe it or not, Hybrid’s rustic truck has a lot more meaning behind it than just a great photo-op. Its French-inspired look comes from Evan’s time in Paris for work and the white wall tires are an ode to his father, who loved working on old cars including a 1954 Ford Fairlane.

Evan says he wants to create new opportunities when people come to the truck. He’s added beautiful landscaping in the front, puts out water and treats for furry friends, and has a seating area made out of old cast iron sewing tables.

A big advocate for hands-on work, Evan has immersed himself in everything there is to know about coffee. After studying design from some of the best fine artists and architects he knew, Evan visited local coffee shops to get insight into owning one himself. He asked baristas about the process, beans, grinds, and really learned the art + science of coffee.

“I would ask baristas ‘If I ever were to own a coffee shop, what’s one piece of feedback you’d give me?’” Evan said. “They told me to treat your baristas right, if you do that they’ll do anything for you.”

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He says he never does anything without thinking about how it will impact his business and employees first. Right now, he has two full-time staff {Tatyana Reyes and Dan Arriaza} and a few freelancers who help at events.

hybrid coffee owner

A real people person, Evan appreciates the Jersey City community and wants to invest in the place he lives. He likes to say he’s Hoboken-born, but Jersey City bred where he’s spent most of his life. Evan and his wife Nelly are part of local non-profit and church, the Hope Center for the Visual and Performing Arts. They’ve been assisting that non-profit for over 15 years through media + communication design efforts and set building.

His wife Nelly “Cookie” Santiago and two children Xavier and Ezra are a huge help every day to Hybrid. Nelly works on the finances and business operations {Evan says he couldn’t do anything without them — swoon}. Their two children help out with orders and restocking wherever they can.

Location + Hours

hybrid coffe sign

Hybrid Coffee’s main location is in Jersey City’s Harborside next to the Mack-Cali building and the Exchange Place PATH stop. Here, the joint is open 7:00AM-7:00PM Monday-Friday. You can also find the coffee truck at the Garden Street Farmers’ Market in Hoboken on Saturdays from 9:00AM-2:00PM. 

Evan regularly caters events and plans to attend more festivals and events in Hudson County. He’s in the process of signing an agreement with a brick-and-mortar location in the JC Heights. Opening in September, he’ll expand Hybrid’s menu to additional pastries, brunch, and tapas-style food.

Read More: The 6 Best Coffee Shops {in Jersey City} To Get Your Caffeine Fix

He says the Harborside headquarters is the perfect spot for the Hybrid Coffee truck and he enjoys seeing his regulars every day running to and from work. Right now, you can order drinks on GrubHub and Seamless, but online ordering will be available directly on the website very soon.

hybrid coffee cup

“Wherever I go, the desire for me is to create a destination spot,” he said. “I want people to feel comfortable and have Hybrid be a full experience for them.”

Hybrid Coffee has received a lot of social media love because of its aesthetically pleasing look, great quality coffee, and Evan’s hospitality. Check out this adorable cafe on wheels ASAP if you haven’t already.

Have you been to Hybrid Coffee yet? What’s your go-to order? Let us know in the comments! 

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