Korean-Inspired Cafe Coming Soon To Somerville

SOMERVILLE, MA — A new Korean-inspired coffee shop is preparing to open in Somerville, bringing a concept from a familiar name in the Greater Boston restaurant scene to the city.

Kima Cafe is expected to open in mid-September at 75 Bow St. in Union Square. The upcoming cafe will feature food and drinks with Korean and other Asian influences and is currently hiring experienced baristas with third-wave specialty coffee experience.

The business comes from Alex Kim, who founded Glasser Coffee Co. in Brighton and co-owns Coreanos Allston with his family. Kim established Glasser in 2020 after spending years in the food and hospitality industry. Before launching the coffee shop, he helped his family open Coreanos, a Korean-Mexican fusion restaurant, and also operated a food truck.

Kima Cafe has not yet announced its specific menu offerings. A hiring post for the business said it is curating a Korean and Asian-inspired menu and looking for baristas to help create “fun drinks.” Kim’s Glasser Coffee Co. offers Vietnamese cold brew, espresso drinks, teas and other specialty beverages, in addition to food options including breakfast sandwiches, bowls and tacos.

Plans for the new cafe appeared publicly earlier this summer when Glasser Coffee LLC, doing business as Kima Cafe, applied for Common Victualer and Entertainment by Devices licenses at the Bow Street location. The Somerville Licensing Commission scheduled a public hearing on the applications in June.

75 Bow St. was previously occupied by Fortissimo Coffeehouse, which operated a cafe out of the Union Square space before its closure.

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