Daniel Maurer Andy Koszewski at the cafe’s front counter.

The Bowery Poetry Club’s front café, which went dark after Bowery Beef closed last summer, is once again brewing coffee, this time under the eye of a former manager at Think Coffee’s Mercer Street location (not the Bowery location just a block away – that would be awkward).

Andy Koszewski, the café’s new operator, opened shop earlier today, and is pouring drip coffee ($2.50, refills $1.50) from Anodyne Coffee Roasting Co., a stylish small-batch roaster from his hometown of Milwaukee, Wis. Once the La Marzocco machine is back from the repair shop later this week, he’ll be pulling espresso ($2.50) for cappuccinos ($3.75), mochas ($4.25) and the like. Also on offer: Chai lattes, hot chocolate, and eventually croissants and quiches from Ceci Cela Patisserie, salads from Choice Greens, and cookies from Salt of the Earth Bakery.

Daniel Maurer Open mics will take place on the steps.

Standing behind the counter under large photos of John S. Hall, Allen Ginsberg, and Charles Bukowski, Mr. Koszewski, who is a poet himself, said the café – open daily from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. – would host an open mic on weekdays at 5 p.m.

The open mic is intended to be a more casual counterpart to the programming in the back room of Bowery Poetry Club, which celebrates its tenth anniversary in the fall. Bob Holman, the owner of the club, said he expected to host a screening and reading by Nick Flynn, as well as events featuring Lou Reed, Laurie Anderson, Suzanne Vega, and Paul Mills.