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City Cites New York Tobacconist for Free Coffee

Gregory Mottola
Posted: August 31, 2009

Ever drink a free cup of coffee that was illegal? If you frequented the Barclay-Rex tobacconist on Broad Street in Manhattan, those free cups of coffee the shop provided were actually in violation of the law. Owner Vince Nastri III had no idea that his courtesy coffees were prohibited until a Board of Health inspector gave him a citation for it.

The trouble started in June when health inspectors responded to a complaint made by other tenants in the building about smoke seeping up to the upper floors. Upon arriving at Barclay-Rex, one inspector spotted the shop's coffee machine and declared it illegal. New York City's health code laws prohibit smoking in areas where food and beverages are served.

"We've been offering free coffee for 10 years," said Nastri whose clientele is largely made up of financial industry and Wall Street professionals. "It was a self-serving machine. You put the cup on it and press a button."

Nastri had a choice: remove his coffee maker or have the city shut down his operation. On July 30th, Nastri pulled the machine out of his store, but he allows his customers to bring in coffee from other shops, if they so choose.

"My gripe is that you can walk into a bank and get a free coffee. You can walk into a high-end jeweler and get a free coffee. You can even get one at the car wash, but you can't get one here," said Nastri. His hearing and likely fine is scheduled for October.