Grand Opening: Get A Free Coffee With Every Purchase At Caffe Bene Until August 31!

Caffe Bene is open for business — and they’re giving away free coffee!

The South Korean coffee franchise opened its location at 6307 18th Avenue on Wednesday, and is offering one small coffee with every purchase until August 31.

As we previously reported, Caffe Bene has more than 1,600 locations around the world, including several in Manhattan and Queens, and is on the verge of opening at least 36 more stores across the five boroughs and Long Island.

Caffe Bene serves gelato, waffles, sandwiches, and lattes, but when we stopped by today we were interested only in their signature, healthy misugaru drinks, made with a five-grain powder that transforms your morning latte into a drinkable breakfast.

The misugaru, which comes latte or frappe form, is a nutrient-rich powder made of rice, barley, black rice, alda beans, black beans, corn, white bean, millet, and sesame seeds that are ground and roasted together. We chose the latte, which cost $3.95 for a small. The result is an espresso drink with thick, grainy texture and a nutty flavor which is surprisingly delicious. Something like a whole-grain breakfast shake, but caffeinated.

Not to pitt one coffee franchise against another, but the ambiance at Caffe Bene is several notches above the average Starbucks experience (such as the one several doors down). Modern lighting and art create a homey living room feel in the spacious cafe. Patrons lounged on wide, rustic wood tables and ooh and ahhed over their beautiful waffle plates.

And the waffles ($5 and up) are beautiful! Laden with gelato, whipped cream, fruit, and syrups, the star-shaped treats are almost too pretty to eat. Caffe Bene also sells a decadent-looking snack called honey bread, which comes drenched in caramel cinnamon, strawberries and cream, banana and walnut, or garlic and cheese, and starts at $6.49.

Anyway, we’ll let you be the judge of Caffe Bene’s food selection. Get your free coffee, try the misugaru, and let us know what you think!