Steady Hand Cafe & Collective is a human-first cafe. Our focus is on creative, friendly, and informative coffee service. Our mission is to create an inclusive space that invites our community to explore their creativity, and make coffee accessible to all.
Drink coffee less ordinary!
Hi, I’m Ashley Burk—founder of Steady Hand Cafe and The Good Good.
Before coffee became my main medium, I trained as a chef at the Culinary Institute of America and spent years exploring how food, art, and community intersect. My earliest creative business, Steady Hand Creative, was rooted in that exploration—through sign painting, fiber arts, and teaching workshops, I carved out a space where craft and connection could meet. That work eventually led me to the world of specialty coffee, where I found the same potential for care, expression, and storytelling.
I spent three years living in Philadelphia, and the latter part of that time, working with Rival Bros. Coffee and immersing myself amogst coffee professionals that valued quality and creativity. Those years, along with time spent in other New Jersey and East Coast cafes, shaped my approach—one that’s influenced as much by nostalgia and global flavor as it is by service and detail.
Steady Hand Cafe is the natural extension of all of that: a place where food and drink are made with intention, where curiosity is encouraged, and where creative community still has a seat at the table.
Photo provided by Ryan Loughlin Photography
Steady Hand Cafe is a coffee shop and creative collective rooted in intention, craft, and curiosity. What started as a pop-up cafe slowly took shape through seasonal residencies, collaborations, and years of showing up with care—cup by cup, community by community.
Along the way, we launched The Good Good, our line of barista-crafted syrups inspired by culinary technique, cocktail culture, and nostalgic flavor. That same spirit of play and precision lives in everything we do—from our coffee and seasonal specials to the way we create space for connection.
Our brick-and-mortar cafe is the latest chapter in a story built on creative beginnings and steady growth. At Steady Hand Cafe, coffee is more than a beverage—it’s a medium for delight, memory, and gathering. The Collective side of what we do celebrates our roots in the arts: hosting workshops, featuring local makers, and offering a platform for the creative community we continue to learn from.
Whether you're here for a daily ritual or something a little unexpected, we’re glad you found your way.
Yes to all! We are a brick-and-mortar cafe located at 710 Main St. Bradley Beach, NJ and a pop-up mobile cafe currently popped up poolside at The St Laurent Social Club located at 408 7th Ave Asbury Park, NJ 07712
We are also an event pop up cafe for hire .
