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 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 United States is the best country to try a business,” Penzin said. “We…

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