With only a few grand to their name, along with a ton of hard work and grit, Rachel Nieves and her now husband Taylor Nawrocki built their business, Buddies Coffee, completely from scratch.
What began as a simple coffee cart grew into a brick-and-mortar cafe on 150 Grand St. in Williamsburg, which is a historically Puerto Rican neighborhood (though you wouldn’t be able to tell that today). Still, Buddies aims to honor Puerto Rican culture and build community by serving quesitos and a special coquito latté—which is the cafe’s claim to fame.
However, inflation and gentrification have recently caused this American Dream to be in jeopardy. As Nieves shared in an incredibly emotional video posted to TikTok, raised rent prices, in addition to another more mainstream coffee shop opening up next door, made staying in business seem impossible.
Through tears, Nieves can be heard saying “It just feels like you just can’t win, like the small people can’t win.” Still, she concluded her video by saying she would “continue to work hard,” that “she’s not going anywhere,” and she’s going to “continue to inspire people.”
And boy, Nieves did just that. Not only did over 6 million people tune into her heartfelt video, but pretty soon New Yorkers began showing up in droves to her shop. TikTok was TikTokking in the best way, because customers began sharing videos of their own visits—many showing lines going around the block—which only encouraged more to stop by.
Buddies even got support from Joe Jonas, who commented “you are awesome. I’m coming to support.” True to his word, showed up the very next day and urged others to “be a buddy.”
For Nieves, creating Buddies was just as much about maintaining a Puerto Rican identity in Brooklyn as it was about starting an income stream. Born and raised in New York, Nieves has seen much of her city change, including the closing of businesses she “holds close to her heart.” In their place were new establishments that felt like they weren’t for her or other locals.
To make her dream a reality, Nieves started small, selling her coffee, which she roasts herself, in a 150 square foot space. This was a different approach than she was seeing from other coffee shops, who seem to prioritize aesthetics over customer service and product quality.
At the time of starting Buddies, Nieves also couldn’t find any female coffee roasters in New York, which only future fueled her mission to show what’s possible. All this to say—losing her business would be about so much more than losing money. And conversely, the support she has received matters much more, too.
Because of her newfound viral fame, Nieves has been not only able to sell within her neighborhood, but throughout the country as well, thanks to online orders. Understandably, she has been immensely grateful for the overwhelmingly positive response.
Furthermore, in a follow-up video on Wednesday, Nieves shared the insight that “vulnerability is power.” And certainly, her story is the proof in the pudding. In being open about her struggles, she inspired positive action. Now, more than ever, we need to remember humanity’s power to manifest good things together, when we truly connect.
If you are not in the area, and would like to support Buddies, you can buy your own bag of coffee here. As for me, I could be persuaded to make a quick trip to New York for a delicious coquito latté…
