Passionfruit Coffee

Passionfruit Coffee is a specialty cafe on Madison Street, opened in 2023 by married couple Taylor and Chloe Siok. Taylor graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in 2013 and built an impressive pastry career that included working as a pastry cook at Daniel — the acclaimed Upper East Side restaurant — opening a bakery in Washington state, serving as pastry chef and director of operations at a restaurant in Spokane, and working alongside James Beard Award-winning pastry chef Ghaya Oliveira at her Long Island pastry shop. Chloe brings over a decade of experience as a barista and in nearly every other front-of-house service position, having worked in cafes across New York City and Washington state. The cafe is bright and spacious, with floor-to-ceiling windows that flood the space with natural light, signature green wallpaper with bird motifs, and both indoor and outdoor seating. Wall-mounted desks offer dedicated workspaces for those settling in with a laptop, and free WiFi and power outlets are available throughout. The coffee program features espresso drinks brewed with beans from DOMA Coffee Roasting Company, while the pastry case is where Passionfruit truly distinguishes itself. Every baked good is made entirely in-house by Taylor Siok, with a curated selection specifically designed to pair with coffee and tea — including the cafe's namesake passionfruit pound cake and an array of specialty pastries that reflect his CIA training and fine-dining background. Passionfruit Coffee operates on a no-tipping model — gratuity is built into the pricing, and there is no tip jar or tip prompt on the screen. Taylor implemented this policy before the shop even opened, believing it leads to more consistent pay for workers and eliminates the awkwardness of the tipping transaction. The cafe has been featured in Gothamist and the Brooklyn Eagle for its progressive approach to hospitality wages, and in Bed-Stuy Patch at its opening.