Celebrated Brooklyn coffee shop Buddies faces closure, finds an outpouring of love

It’s a story New Yorkers are familiar with: A neighborhood gem facing a sharp rent increase sees no path forward but moving or closing. It's the fate Brooklyn coffee shop Buddies may soon face, according to co-owner Rachel Nieves.

“This is gentrification,” she said in a video posted to TikTok on Tuesday. “It just feels like you just can't win, like the small people can't win.”

What’s less familiar, however, is the extraordinary showing of support Buddies is seeing in response to its troubles.

The Latina-owned coffee shop, which was started in the pandemic as its founder abandoned a safer career to pursue a dream, has been celebrated as a success story by the community it serves. Just last month, it was included in a New York Times profile of three coffee shop owners who "began their businesses with no college degrees and 100% grit.”

@its.rachel.rose Happy start to women’s history months I guess ! 😘 Hearing this news today just now completely broke me. As a self funded small like true mom and pop business this news is scary - I’ve never tried to nor want to “compete” with anyone. If you know me you know I truly don’t see anyone as a competitor- however, knowing someone -whoever they are is planning on opening literally next door not down the block across the street around the corner. I cannot deny it will crush me. I’m hopeful we will make the most out of these next 6-7 months in this space and I just know God was holding my hand when I decided to sign a lease in the city (with hopes and dreams of having two shops) I will continue to remain delusional always I will always work hard show up for myself and show up for others. I promised myself If I was to make content I will be completely myself - nothing curated just raw and here I am 😘 #coffee #dayinmylife #coffeetiktoklovers #badbunny #brooklyn #buddiescoffee #coffeenyc #nyc #ditl #coffeetok #womenownedbusiness ♬ original sound - Rachel

The Times piece recounts how Nieves and her partner Taylor Nawrocki started their coffee cart in Williamsburg in 2020, and grew the business quickly through pop-up events until it moved into a pool hall and then settled at its current location on Grand Street. Along the way, Nieves developed an online following through her posts about determination, entrepreneurship and the challenges that come with running a small business.

But now, Buddies’ future is uncertain.

In her video posted on Tuesday, Nieves tearfully explained that the business she worked to build might have to move out of its home due to an upcoming rent hike, adding that a new coffee shop set to open nearby would add to the strain.

“Most of you know Williamsburg as now is like this annoying place that you like, hate, or you f---ing love, but it was a predominantly Puerto Rican neighborhood before all the gentrification wiped so many people away,” she said. “For me to start a new business was this fresh start of like, ‘You know what? We're not going anywhere. We're here. We're staying. We can succeed. We can build our businesses. We have community here.’”

Nieves asked viewers to visit Buddies, letting them know they had six to seven months to do so at the shop's current location.

New Yorkers heard her call. By Wednesday, more than 1 million people had watched her video. Other TikTok users like Hanna Elson made videos in support, visiting the coffee shop and giving its signature drink, the coquito latte, a rave review.

Singer Joe Jonas even filmed himself dropping by, and urged people to come and show their support.

“Be a buddy,” he said.

"Real Housewives of New York" alum and entrepreneur Bethenny Frankel posted in Nieves’ comments to learn more about what was happening.

@joejonas Good day to show Buddies Cafe some love! Shop online or head to the store at 150 Grand Street in Williamsburg ❤️ @Rachel ♬ original sound - joejonas

On Thursday morning, a steady stream of customers flowed in and out of Buddies' cozy storefront. The coquito latte, inspired by the traditional Puerto Rican Christmas drink, was sold out by around 11 a.m.

Kera Lee and her mom, Margarita Torres, commuted from Dumbo and Sunset Park respectively after seeing Nieves’ video the night before.

“ Being a Puerto Rican myself, I had to come show up — there's no way in hell would I not support a small business that is Puerto Rican-owned in Brooklyn,” she said. “Whenever I think of Williamsburg, it's always hipster white people. So to find a small business that is Puerto Rican woman-owned, why not come out and support it? Especially since it is the neighborhood that my mom grew up in."

“And it's a neighborhood that she grew up, predominantly Puerto Rican as well.” she said.

Lee got an iced coquito latte, while Torres got a hot one.

“ This was a great experience to come back this close to where I grew up,” Torres said. “It's also because they're just trying to keep the neighborhood that they knew alive and that's something you should support.”

Allison Dowd lives nearby and has been a regular at Buddies for two years. She said that although she's usually able to walk right in and get her drink, she was happy to have to wait on Thursday.

“To see a lot of people down the block talking about coquito lattes in line, wanting to support Rachel and Taylor, it was just really amazing that people can rally so quickly and so enthusiastically for small businesses when they need help,” she said.

It’s not immediately clear what comes next for the business. Buddies' owners weren't immediately available to talk at the shop on Thursday amid the overwhelming customer demand. And a notice on Buddies' website warned that orders could take two to three weeks to fulfill due to the sudden high demand “from all of your support and love.”

“I’m going to keep showing up and working hard, and maybe a wonderful thing will come out of this,” Nieves said in a follow-up video on Wednesday. “I mean, a wonderful thing has already come out of it. So many wonderful people have shown up and shared, and just thank you.”

@its.rachel.rose Replying to @Lindsey I’m gonna try to get some rest - 💕✨ #coffee #coffeetiktoklovers #dayinmylife #brooklyn #buddiescoffee #nyc #nyc #womenownedbusiness #badbunny #coffeenyc #coffeenyc ♬ original sound - Rachel

She said she was proud that she could be vulnerable in the video she’d shot from her car.

In another follow-up video on Wednesday, Nieves said the backlog is because Buddies is receiving a lot of online orders, and she roasts all the coffee herself. She asked for feedback on whether people were OK with waiting, or if she should temporarily stop taking the online orders, saying she wanted to do right by the shop’s customers. “I should get some sleep,” she said.

“I will continue to say: All feelings are valid,” she told viewers. “Big feelings, good feelings, ugly ones, scary ones, happy ones. All feelings are valid.”

She said it’s important that people celebrate their wins, “and that we can all accept, or welcome, fear or failure, or anything.”

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