Buddies (150 Grand St.), a cozy coffee shop in Williamsburg, saw a burst of popularity over the past few days after a post from owner Rachel Nieves went viral on social media.
Nieves posted an honest and teary video on TikTok about the struggles of owning a small business including rent increases and the possibility of another coffee shop opening next door to Buddies, in a neighboring condo building. Nieves talked about the fact that she has no other form of income, calling the coffee shop “her life.”
“I just got word I might not be able to stay in the same lease because of rent increase… but not only that, right next door to me they are putting a coffee shop,” Nieves tearfully choked out in her post. (She did not name the new coffee shop.)
After the post, over 26,000 comments have flooded in, filled with encouragement and positivity. The post currently has over 862,000 likes, and Joe Jonas even stopped by for a visit.
This past weekend, lines of customers snaked down the block excited to visit Buddies. At 3 p.m. yesterday, the owners were forced to cut the line.
Rachel Nieves, a Puerto Rican native New Yorker, and pro skateboarder Taylor Nawrocki masked up and opened Buddies in December 2020, during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. The coffeeshop survived the pandemic that shuttered many small businesses in the neighborhood.
Over the past five years, Buddies has flourished with its edgy design and variety of coffee drinks and wholesale beans. One of Buddies’ most popular drinks is a coquito latte, utilizing the traditional Puerto Rican holiday drink similar to eggnog. It is typically made with coconut cream, condensed milk, rum, and spices like cinnamon and nutmeg, but Buddies uses espresso instead of alcohol.
The small coffeeshop is no stranger to publicity. In October 2024, Buddies did an affogato collab with Greenpoint’s Caffè Panna, and in January, the brand was featured in the New York Times.
Maybe if I cry at work, I’ll get a raise