Three Cheers for the Coffee Guy

Possibly the most underrated service provider in New York City is perched on at least one street corner on  every block of the city. It’s none other than your neighborhood coffee guy. Not only do they have to contend with the Wal-Mart of coffee, Starbucks, but they also have to compete with every little neighborhood coffee shop as well. These vendors are grossly underpaid and show up no matter the weather in the wee hours of the morning to serve their faithful with their morning libation and a smile (and don’t forget the donuts, mmmm, doe-nuuuts).

The latter offering is the one that I’m more concerned with. These men and women have maybe 45 seconds to a minute to make an impression on you. No matter how your morning has gone, there’s nothing that a hot cup of coffee, some friendly chit-chat from essentially a stranger and a smile can’t cure. It’s happened to me day-after-day, and I’m grateful for it. So save $3 on your Starbucks coffee that has an eight-word name and walk a few doors down to the nearest coffee vendor and let them brighten up your day.