Whats the toughest part of being a small business owner in New York?
In New York City, it’s probably the bureaucracy. Permits and fees and fines. That sort of stuff. Taxes. Just everything you have to fill out and be on top of. Is coffee recession proof? I think it fluctuates. I think it’s more about weather. If it rains, it’s slower. People don’t want to go out and get their coffee if it’s raining. As far as recession, I think at first when everyone was talking about it on TV, I noticed a drop. Or people would be buying beans to make coffee at home. But now I don’t think so. Do people ever assume that the name Cafe Grumpy is supposed to tip them off about a certain vibe to the store? I wish they thought that because then they’d be happy when they realize it’s not like that. It’s funny to me if someone working’s having a bad day and a customer’s like, “Oh, they weren’t super-friendly.” But then the name’s Cafe Grumpy so it can work both ways. Everyone has their days. We try to keep it ironic, but some days we’re just having a bad day and we can use it a
