Wednesday, December 11, 2002


free gillies!

it is so great to see this article in the new york times, which details the nightmare the city of new york is imposing on one of its own historical and cultural treasures, gillies coffee, which has been a fixture of new york life since 1840.

as i've said before, new york has been a coffee city since forever. we should have a great and flourishing coffee culture; we should be the host to the coffee phenomenon. and this article partially explains why we are not; because the city doesn't understand its own assets. yet it should: don s. himself is a leading light of specialty coffee not only in new york, but across the u.s.a.

the petty government official who sneers that gillies, and by extension, specialty coffee, is just "the next unfortunate little economic boomlet" shows his total lack of understanding. in our battered, suffering new york, economic boomlets are not "unfortunate." i support don s. 100 percent.

in fact, if i could, i would picket the hearing with a sign that says "free gillies!" and indeed, the city of new york should unshackle the coffee industry in this city and let it free to dominate the world, just like, well, you know who. . .

ok, maybe that extreme. but definitely don s. has the latest and greatest pollution devices on his plant, and they should let him off the hook. in fact, the next time i see mayor mike on the subway, i just might buttonhole him on this. . .actually, i encourage all new yorkers to email mayor mike and express their support for gillies. i just did!

posted by fortune | 3:59 PM | top | link to this | email this: | | | 0 comments