These café owners started a shop with credit cards and a $30,000 loan. They say it's worth it to run a business in NYC.

Ilia Penzin and Liliia Penzina at their café, T.O.L.K., in Bushwick.

Paola Chapdelaine for BI Ilia Penzin and Liliia Penzina run T.O.L.K., a café in Bushwick, NYC, facing financial hurdles.

T.O.L.K., opened in 2025, serves as both a coffee shop and art gallery, promoting local artists.

Despite financial struggles, Penzin and Penzina remain hopeful, aiming to expand their NYC business.

Ilia Penzin and Liliia Penzina call their café and art gallery their baby.

"A big baby," Penzina said, laughing.

The entrepreneurs' first year running T.O.L.K. in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Bushwick has been defined by the personal sacrifice and precarity of running a small business in one of the most expensive cities in the US.

To fund the startup costs , they moved in with roommates to save on rent, took a $30,000 loan from family, and went into credit card debt.

Still, they remain optimistic and would encourage other would-be entrepreneurs to follow their dreams.

The café is located at 286 Stanhope St, Brooklyn, NY 11237.

Paola Chapdelaine for BI "The United States is the best country to try a business," Penzin said.

"We love coffee, we love hospitality.

We decided to open a café." For Business Insider's Cost of the City series, the couple detailed what it took to get off the ground, the day-to-day costs, and why they have yet to turn a profit.

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