When Andres Ramirez came to the United States from Colombia in 2015 and took a job at a coffee shop in Queens, he couldn’t have imagined that he would one day own the 58-year-old business.

Andres knew his visa to come to the U.S. would mean starting from zero. Working at Baruir Coffee in Sunnyside, Queens was a first step toward building a life in his new country. He worked at Baruir for ten years. He ordered the coffee beans and roasted the beans on-site. He helped customers with their orders. He managed relationships with other vendors. By the time the pandemic came, Andres says the owner only came by to sign the checks.

So when the retiring owner offered to sell the store to Andres, he knew this was a big opportunity.

Mr. Mr. Ramirez is now the owner of Baruir Coffee in Sunnyside, Queens

Andres connected with NYC Business Solutions, and they referred him to Rolando Gonzalez, an attorney with The Legal Aid Society’s Community Development Project (CDP).

CDP provides small businesses with the legal resources and tools that enable them to pursue long-term success. Rolando’s work with Andres ended up stretching across six months, during which Rolando helped Andres create a new legal entity for the business, apply for necessary licenses and permits, negotiate a new commercial lease, and more.

Mr. Ramirez with Legal Aid attorney Rolando Gonzalez

Andres has brought in his sister to work with him, and they have already renovated the shop. New counters and tiles have brought life to the space, but the roasting machine is still in the front of the shop, and the quality of the coffee hasn’t changed either.

They are expanding the store’s hours to include earlier mornings and Sundays. Thanks to the food processing license that Rolando helped them obtain, they’ve also started selling pastries, bagels and other food items. Community members are thrilled to be able to buy breakfast on their way to the 7 train in the morning.

Andres is very clear on one thing: he wouldn’t have made it through the six-month process of buying the business without Rolando’s “very good help.” This neighborhood staple has passed into new hands, and its continued success is Sunnyside’s success.