Coffee Maker Review: The Reason a Tech YouTuber Chose to Open a Coffee Shop.
In the latest episode of The Vergecast, the experience of an individual who has transitioned from working hard on YouTube to focusing on coffee making is recounted.
David Cogen has been living a dual life for the past eight months. During the day, he is a content creator and YouTuber, representing TheUnlockr, where he reviews phones, tests electric bikes, and explains how food smokers work. However, in his spare time, he has been working to establish a café in Brooklyn called Coffee Check.
The story began late last year when Cogen needed a new workspace after his previous lease expired. Although he initially had a business idea that didn't pan out, he decided to transform the new location into a coffee roastery. Upon discovering that there was a street entrance, he came up with the idea of also opening a café.
Since late August, Coffee Check has been in operation. During my visit, I was surprised by how busy it was, considering it is a new establishment located on a residential street in Greenpoint. The space is bright and spacious, with a long counter on the right and a large communal wooden table on the left. In one corner, a customer is speaking loudly on the phone while comfortably seated in a chair. There are outlets everywhere, the Wi-Fi connection is extremely fast, and the smart lighting system is designed to be visually appealing while caring for the indoor plants. It's the ideal neighborhood café, created by a tech enthusiast.
Cogen arrived around 10:30 AM, chatted briefly with the baristas, and then offered me a tour of the establishment. He took me to the back of Coffee Check, where there is a fully functional production studio that other creators and companies can rent through Peerspace. So, now he is managing three different businesses: the YouTube channel, the café, and the property of the studio he rents.
He showed particular enthusiasm for the kitchen, an uncommon feature in a rentable studio, which has been designed to easily add or remove appliances, as he plans to review cooking gadgets for his YouTube channel. Next to a large Samsung television, which will be used for an upcoming video, were several electric bikes for other content.
Later on, he led me to the podcasting studio, a spacious area equipped with a sofa and two chairs, which he purchased from a supplier in Finland, managing to get a discount by offering that the studio could be used as a showroom in New York. As we sat down, Cogen set up the microphones and began to share his story.
During an episode of The Vergecast, which is part of a miniseries titled "How to Succeed in the Future," Cogen reflected on his transition from YouTuber to café owner. They chatted about how the term "coffee, check" became integrated into his brand and how his coffee hobby turned into a deep knowledge about it.
Cogen has been considering how to balance his content and his passion for coffee in the future. After 13 years of living as a constant creator, he finds something romantic and more measured in managing a local business. However, he has also filmed his café for his videos. He wonders if he should become a coffee YouTuber and how to generate content about his business without changing the essence of what he has created. He faces the same dilemma as many creators, investing both his money and time to improve the situation.
