Brooklyn Couple Runs Art-Cafe T.O.L.K. While Battling NYC’s High Costs

Ilia Penzin and Liliia Penzina, who met while studying in Russia and later applied for asylum in the United States, opened T.O.L.K., a combined café and art gallery in the Bushwick neighborhood of Brooklyn. To reduce startup costs they moved into a shared three-bedroom apartment, secured a $30,000 family loan, and incurred credit-card debt. The venue averages $5,600 in net monthly sales, but $2,700 of that goes to rent, and after food and other expenses the business loses about $900 each month.

Penzin supplements income by doing handyman work, while Penzina runs three barista jobs and manages daily operations. The couple hopes to eventually open additional locations upstate or on Long Island, viewing the venture as a worthwhile trade-off for living in New York City.