I ate at Coach's new coffee shop. I loved one menu item, but I'm in no rush to go back.

• I visited the first US-based Coach Coffee Shop in New Jersey, which opened in late December.
• I thought the food, which included typical coffee-shop sweet treats and light bites, was decent.
• I loved the café's chocolate-chip cookie, but I'm not rushing to head back anytime soon.

Recently, Coach opened its first coffee shop in the United States. As a café lover, I just knew I had to check it out.

Coach, a brand known for its high-quality luxury handbags, first expanded into the food-and-beverage space when it opened an Indonesian-based restaurant and coffee shop in March 2024.

Following a successful run with customers, the brand opened a New Jersey-based café inside an existing Coach store in late December 2024.

Although The Coach Restaurant in Indonesia looked incredibly luxurious with custom-designed plates and leather upholstery — the brand's cafés, filled with quirky merch and simple snacks, seemed more relaxed.

So, I headed to the Jersey Shore Premium Outlets in Tinton Falls, New Jersey, with my sisters to see if the coffee shop was worth the hype.

Here's what the experience was like.

We arrived at the coffee shop on a Tuesday at about 5 p.m.

The Coach Coffee Shop is attached to the retailer's regular store, so customers can walk through the café to shop the brand's typical luxury items.

From the outside, the coffee shop looked warm and inviting, taking up a corner spot at the outlet mall.

It had large windows that let in a lot of light and a cute neon sign featuring the shop's mascot: Lil Miss Jo, a smiling coffee mug inspired by vintage-diner imagery. 

In my opinion, the coffee shop's interior was a bit underwhelming.

When I walked in, I felt like the furniture, which consisted of food-court-style metal chairs and counters, seemed like an afterthought. The lighting also seemed a bit too harsh and bright.

The vibe definitely wasn't as cozy as I expected for a luxury-brand café.

Although the coffee shop was attached to the Coach store, the two areas felt disconnected. I saw multiple coffee-shop customers sit with drinks and return to the outlet walkway without even entering the Coach store.

I was a little disappointed by the selection of food items in stock.

I saw online that the Indonesian-based Coach Coffee Shop had pastries in the shape of a "C," so I was excited to order cute branded food items at the New Jersey café.

Although the US-based Coach Coffee Shop menu includes specialty items, such as the Tabby cake — a dessert shaped like a purse with a "C" on it — I didn't see any branded items on display. I wondered if maybe they had sold out.

I was also looking forward to trying unique items, like the jelly and peanut butter soft-serve options, but I was disappointed to learn they were out of stock. 

The food was decent, but I'm not sure it was better than the dishes I've had at other coffee shops.

I ordered the ham-and-cheese croissant ($6), small matcha latte ($6), small s'mores latte ($6.50), and a chocolate-chip cookie ($7).

The ham-and-cheese croissant was a yummy snack for a mid-shopping break, but it seemed a bit overpriced and didn't stand out as something to go back for. 

The matcha latte was delicious and tasted like a classic version of the beverage I was expecting. I thought it was better than the s'mores latte, which mostly tasted like hot chocolate. I didn't get much of the marshmallow or graham-cracker flavors from this drink.

The Coach cups and drink sleeves were cute, though.

However, one menu item stood out.

In my opinion, the best item, by far, was the rich chocolate-chip cookie with salt flakes sprinkled on top.

The barista also heated it up for us, so every bite was warm and gooey. I recommend splitting this cookie with a friend, as it's a pretty large portion to have in one sitting.

I thought the branded merch was a nice touch for Coach lovers.

As I ate, I appreciated how much attention Coach placed on its branding. The baristas wore matching Coach Coffee Shop shirts and hats, and everything from the cups to the coffee stirrers featured the shop's logo.

I noticed shelves full of mugs, notebooks, pins, hats, and shirts available for purchase inside the café. I think these would make great gifts for Coach lovers — just keep in mind that the prices align with the brand's luxury image. For example, I saw one of the branded cotton T-shirts cost $75.

To me, this branded merch looked like it was meant to appeal to customers taking photos and videos to post on social media.

Overall, I didn't find the experience to be that special, and I'd only return if I were in the area.

Although the coffee shop didn't convince me to head to the main store and buy a Coach bag, it was still a cute pitstop during my shopping trip.

Overall, the food and coffee felt slightly overpriced, and to be honest, I wouldn't return for the drinks. They felt on par with what I could get at any old coffee shop.

Diehard Coach fans might find more value in the experience, but I wished the coffee shop had a cozier aesthetic and more unique qualities or special touches.

However, if I were already in the area, I would definitely stop by for another delicious cookie.

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