News Story
INTRO: In August of 2019, a new Little Roy’s coffee shop opened up in the Church Avenue community on Nostrand Avenue between Linden Boulevard and Martnese. The coffee shop chain was first opened in the Bedford-Stuyvesant area of Brooklyn in 2017 and has been a big success with the community. As a result, the owner of the chain decided to open up another to see if the success can be repeated. We traveled to the little shop in a big neighborhood to get the scoop. Our reporter, Matthew Hull, has the story.
Ambi: (Natural sounds)
TRACK: The moment you walk into the coffee shop, you can smell the grinding of the coffee beans and sweetness of the latte’s being made. The barista’s all greet their customers with a smile, even knowing the name of several people in line. The shop seems to be buzzing around midday as people come on their breaks from neighboring companies and also as people come to get some midday work done. The sight of laptops, avocado toast and laughing fills the room. We stop by the counter and ask for a quick interview from Dillion, a barista who has been working there for quite a while. First he speaks on his time at the coffee shop.
ACT: Dillion: The coffee shop opened three or four months ago. And that’s when I started. Yeah it’s good. It’s-It’s started our slow but people have started to notice since we’re so close to the 2 train, people walk by it all the time. So it’s slowly ramping up.
TRACK: He quickly steps away to make the coffee of a waiting customer. I, then, ask him quickly to express how he feels about the community
ACT: Dillion: Yeah, people-people are cool. I-I like the culture of the neighborhood for sure and I think we are trying to maintain that and not in the way of it.
TRACK: As I left the counter in order to let Dillon to get to his final customers as it was nearing the 3pm closing, I noticed a young man who looked to be in college. I politely sat next to him and asked if he could give me just a little of his time after 3pm for a quick interview on his experience with the shop and it’s introduction into the community. He introduced himself as Joshua but declined to give a last name. I first asked him whether or not he lived nearby.
ACT: Josh: I moved to the Church Avenue neighborhood when I was in third grade and I’m still living there now so it’s been like 10 years since I moved.
Track: With the controversies surrounding gentrification, i was interested to find out his opinion on whether the introduction of Little Roy’s into the community is a positive or negative one. His answer pleasantly surprised me.
ACT: Josh: Honestly, I think it’s a positive thing to see a new business join the Church Ave neighborhood. Since I’ve moved, I’ve been seeing the same places every day. Got to a point where I wasn’t even looking at the sides of the sidewalk, I already knew what was on the sides. And now, it’s different and I see more people and I just like the change we are seeing in the Church Avenue neighborhood. It shows that our neighborhood is flourishing and it’s an introduction of new people and that’s always a great thing.
Track: He mentioned to me that he had class attend soon so I tried to fit in one more question. I asked him about his overall review of the coffee shop and what he thinks of the place.
ACT: Josh: I think Little Roy’s is a great place. When I first went with my brother, I was shocked when the barista memorized his order, you know? That’s something that I don’t really see when it comes to the places I’ve even gone often. And inside, there’s a lot of work going on. It’s very quiet. The space is very ambient. It’s a good atmosphere. The coffee’s amazing. The hot chocolate’s amazing. I think that overall, the culmination of both aesthetic and the passion that goes into making the coffee and other items on the menu is truly outstanding and I think it’s a really great place.
Track: After I finished recording, he shook my hand, picked up his bag and left the shop. I sat there for a bit, listening to the interviews I had got. I also had a nice chat with the owner who stated that he also lived in the community and had been looking to expand the shops for quite a while. Unfortunately, he declined a recorded interview but from his confidence, I can tell that Little Roy’s may continue to expand as time passes.
AMBI: (Street sounds)
Track: From Baruch, Matthew Hull signing off.