Water Cafe Opens in NYC: Reasonable or Ridiculous?
SodaHead Food
2012/07/23 00:24:04
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We love niche food stores. But an entire café devoted to water? That seems a little over the top to us.
Last week, the Molecule Water Café opened in New York City’s East Village. On a basic level, the shop sells filtered tap water—$2.50 for a 16-ounce glass bottle (only $1 for up to 50 ounces in your own container.) According to The Wall Street Journal, the tap water is streamed “through a $25,000 filtering machine that uses ultraviolet rays, ozone treatments and reverse osmosis in a seven-stage processing treatment to create what they call pure H20.”
For an additional cost, you can purchase water infused with pH and electrolytes, vitamins and supplements, or all natural blends. NYC residents can also get 3 and 5-gallon jugs of Molecule’s “pharmaceutical grade water” delivered to their homes by tricycle. So far, reports have varied regarding whether Molecule’s water really tastes all the different from a water bottle or even unfiltered tap water. “I mean it's subtle, but if you have a sensitive palate you can totally tell," said co-owner Adam Ruhf.
But beyond taste, Molecule claims that their water is safer than regular NYC tap water. The company’s website states, “Current reports show NYC tap water to contain a variety of dangerous chemicals, including Chloropicrin, Trihalomethane, Dalapon and lsophorone- all extremely toxic. Not to mention fluoride and chlorine, about which you can make up your mind.”
However, NYC officials strongly disagree with their claims. Christopher Gilbride, a spokesman for the New York City Department of Environmental Protection said, "Public health experts agree that New York City tap water is among the safest, highest quality in the world, a standard we confirm through more than 500,000 tests each year."
We’re sure Molecule’s water is totally awesome. But we’re just not convinced that a water café is going to succeed in this tough economic climate. But then again, maybe this kind of thing can fly in the East Village and we'll see the development of new water connoisseurs.
Last week, the Molecule Water Café opened in New York City’s East Village. On a basic level, the shop sells filtered tap water—$2.50 for a 16-ounce glass bottle (only $1 for up to 50 ounces in your own container.) According to The Wall Street Journal, the tap water is streamed “through a $25,000 filtering machine that uses ultraviolet rays, ozone treatments and reverse osmosis in a seven-stage processing treatment to create what they call pure H20.”
For an additional cost, you can purchase water infused with pH and electrolytes, vitamins and supplements, or all natural blends. NYC residents can also get 3 and 5-gallon jugs of Molecule’s “pharmaceutical grade water” delivered to their homes by tricycle. So far, reports have varied regarding whether Molecule’s water really tastes all the different from a water bottle or even unfiltered tap water. “I mean it's subtle, but if you have a sensitive palate you can totally tell," said co-owner Adam Ruhf.
But beyond taste, Molecule claims that their water is safer than regular NYC tap water. The company’s website states, “Current reports show NYC tap water to contain a variety of dangerous chemicals, including Chloropicrin, Trihalomethane, Dalapon and lsophorone- all extremely toxic. Not to mention fluoride and chlorine, about which you can make up your mind.”
However, NYC officials strongly disagree with their claims. Christopher Gilbride, a spokesman for the New York City Department of Environmental Protection said, "Public health experts agree that New York City tap water is among the safest, highest quality in the world, a standard we confirm through more than 500,000 tests each year."
We’re sure Molecule’s water is totally awesome. But we’re just not convinced that a water café is going to succeed in this tough economic climate. But then again, maybe this kind of thing can fly in the East Village and we'll see the development of new water connoisseurs.
Read More: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB100008723963904443...
Top Opinion
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Chloey Hamer 2012/07/23 01:29:39
Either way, I'm not having it.
How many people buy bottled water at the supermarket, this is just taking it one step further.
Do they not teach science anymore?
and sorry i thought i wrote this but i guess i started typing before it was ready...
It just means that you can get water "with a different PH level, which means they add salt."
I drink water from the backyard hose though if I am thirsty and outside.
Nothing like the taste.
and... do they have wifi?
Remember the "Pet Rock", Lol.
Who would have thought people would purchase for $10 on average a rock in a cardboard box, Lol. people can be stupid, and other people are there to cash in on that stupidity when it comes around, Lol.
After the pet rock there were a variety of other worthless novelties that came out to clean up on the stupid people and they too made a killing on people with more money than brains.
One I remember was the "Ever-Brown", it was actually a dead plant advertised that you never had to water, Lol, nurseries and plant stores usually threw them in the dumpster after the plant died, but now were shipping them all over the United States to people who wanted a plant they did not have to take care of., Lol, go figure what will sell in the American market at any given time, Lol.
Fluoride also damages teeth. Excessive ingestion of fluoride during the early childhood years can damage the tooth-forming cells, leading to a defect in the enamel known as dental fluorosis. Teeth impacted by fluorosis have visible discoloration, ranging from white spots to brown and black stains.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, 32% of American children now have some form of dental fluorosis, with 2 to 4% of children having the moderate to severe stages.
I buy purified bottled water to drink. Agree on the fluroide also as fluroide kills bacteria, the good and bad bacteria.
I read a report by the International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) where they tested 70 differend bottled waters, and in the top 3 bottled waters was Nestle Pure Life as being one of the best bottled waters on the market, and being truthful about their water purity, and as it happens it's one of the cheapest bottled waters on the market also if you purchase it by the case which most people do, and i do. I buy 4 cases at a time which lasts about two weeks for me and my cat, Lol. Pets are people too, Lol.
I'm a member of Fine Waters, one of the best bottled water sources on line, and well off line too. Check it out for everything you need to know about bottled waters the world over, and see some bottled waters you never knew exsisted.
http://www.finewaters.com/Bot...
That would be funny, having a fountain for their ONLY PRODUCT.
what they need. Good to see an entrepreneur trying to add another
product to our market. My PUR water purifier is my limit for city water
purification. Super cold tasty water from the fridge.
People laughed at the idea of bottled water when it first came out, now these days we have people who refuse to drink anything but bottled water, even if it provides exactly the same health benefits as tap water.
I think it's an interesting business idea, I also think it will encourage people who walk by to drink more water instead of Soda or flavored Juice, New Yorkers walk a lot and live in polluted environments so they ought to be drinking more water than most.
out of fresh air.
It might sell in NY too.
I'm jealous of US gas prices though, here we pay about 5 times more for a gallon of gas. Not to mention about twice as much for bottled water.