The brand has since grown into a small empire employing 300 people across 20 New York City cafés, a brand new roastery, and catering, wholesale and online sales businesses. In 2003, New Yorkers bought their coffee at Starbucks, traditional Italian cafés and bodegas, but what industry observers call the “third wave”—a movement emphasizing the careful sourcing and roasting of coffee beans, and the importance of skilled baristas—was virtually unknown. Almost immediately, Rubinstein, who opened Joe with his sister and parents, gained a devoted local following, including the neighborhood's many actors and writers: Sarah Jessica Parker, Matthew Broderick and the late Philip Seymour Hoffman were all regulars.