“We took the parts of RBC we really liked,” says Cora Lambert of the café, much-loved by coffee aficionados, that used to be on Worth. Lambert and a former RBC colleague, Erik Becker, have just opened a Box Kite Coffee counter inside Maslow 6 Wine Bar; they also signed a lease for their own space at 115 St. Mark’s Place, which will open this fall.

Naturally, the emphasis is on good coffee: “We picked two of nine roasters we loved working with at RBC: Ritual in San Francisco and Madcap in Grand Rapids. The third spot is rotating.” In other ways, however, Box Kite is notable for how it’s different from RBC. There’s plenty of table space (including the ones outside on the loading dock), there are outlets (and wi-fi), and there’s even a restroom.

Their plans are to use the Maslow 6 space as a “test lab,” including offering flights with coffee and sherry or beer. Also of note: The 1+1, a double espresso that’s been unpacked into a single macchiato and a single espresso, served on a custom-made board with a glass of water and a cookie. (All espressos come with a cookie, a welcome touch.) For now, Box Kite is selling Balthazar pastries, but it’ll soon start baking in house, with “a lunch program that’s streamlined but delicious.”

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