New York Gentrification Pushes Latina Business Owner to Make Tearful Plea to Save Her Puerto Rican-Owned Shop, Buddies Coffee

New York Gentrification Pushes Latina Business Owner to Make Tearful Plea to Save Her Puerto Rican-Owned Shop, Buddies Coffee

Williamsburg was once home to Latino families who built lives, businesses, and communities. The rhythm of the neighborhood pulsed with Spanish-language conversations, the scent of food with actual sazón drifting from open windows, and the sound of dominoes clacking on folding tables. That Williamsburg no longer exists. Gentrification has swept through, replacing corner bodegas with minimalist cafés and pricing out the very people who made the neighborhood a home. Rachel Rose, co-owner of Buddies Coffee, is fighting to hold onto one of the last remnants of that history. 

To express her frustration and heartbreak, she turned to TikTok. Her video, raw with emotion, has been viewed over 3.8 million times since the time of this writing. 

@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

Rachel Rose and the Passion Behind Buddies Coffee

She is one of the newest Puerto Rican-owned businesses in the area and has spent the last four years building something from nothing. She does not just run a coffee shop. She roasts the coffee herself, ensuring every cup is made with the same dedication that went into creating her business. 

“What most of you know Williamsburg as now is this annoying place that you hate or you love, but it was a predominantly Puerto Rican neighborhood before all the gentrification wiped so many people away,” she said in her video. “For me, what it meant to start a new business was this fresh start of, ‘You know what, we’re not going anywhere.’” 

Her fight is not just about one coffee shop. Latinos are the backbone of small business ownership in the United States, with Latinas leading that growth. Despite their entrepreneurial success, systemic barriers make access to funding and resources disproportionately difficult. Commercial rent prices in Williamsburg reflects those inequalities. 

Rachel revealed that neighboring businesses are facing rent increases between $15,000 and $36,000 a month. Buddies Coffee, which operates in a shared space and occupies just 100 square feet, cannot afford that scale of overhead. “The reality is that commercial rent prices in Williamsburg mean independent or self-funded businesses are finding it nearly impossible to run sustainable or profitable businesses unless a unique unicorn situation as I found myself in and worked hard at materializes itself,” she explained. 

Gentrification erases cultural landmarks, displaces families, and forces small businesses to compete with corporate-backed newcomers. Another coffee shop is opening right next to hers, a familiar pattern in neighborhoods like Williamsburg. “It just feels like so many big corporations or big businesses that come here, it’s predatory behavior to seek out a small business and plop right next to them,” she said. 

Rachel and her boyfriend built Buddies Coffee without financial backing, loans, or investors. They scraped together a few thousand dollars, put in the work, and created something that became part of the community. Now, she is pleading for help. Buddies Coffee has six to seven months left before it may have to close. “Basically, if you haven’t come to Buddies yet, you have like six to seven months to do so. I want to make the most out of it,” she said. “No one gave me money to do this. I have no one backing me.” 

What’s Happened Since Her Viral Video?

Strangers flooded the comments with words of encouragement. Many promised to visit. Others shared their own struggles with gentrification and the fight to keep small businesses alive. Since then, she has posted more videos expressing gratitude to those who have supported her. 

Support for Buddies Coffee has poured in. Customers have promiseda to visit. People vowing to spend their money where it matters – at her shop. Celebrities have also joined in, with Joe Jonas stopping by and figures like Bethenny Frankel, Tefi Pessoa, and brands like Raw Sugar showing their support. 

The loss of a business like Buddies Coffee would be detrimental to the Latino community in New York and to those who have seen Williamsburg as their home for so long. In a way, it would be like another piece of a culture erased if the coffee shop goes away. This is why it’s important for people to fight back and let gentrifiers know that they are not welcomed. Let’s hope Buddies Coffee continues thriving beyond this year.  

If you want to support, you can visit Buddies Coffee in Brooklyn, New York, or shop online. 

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