![IMG_9025](https://www.baristamagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/IMG_9025.jpg)
Jonathan Rubinstein
Founder
Joe
New York City & Philadelphia
What other coffee jobs have you had?
Not a one. Unless you count my first job as an assistant to a talent agent where I ran out and got him a lot of coffee. Or the coffee I served at Chic-fil-A in high school.
![You'd be hard-pressed to find a quality barista in New York who hasn't spent time at Joe, whether as a barista, a customer, or an attendee at one of the many coffee community events Joe hosts.](http://baristamagazine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/securedownload.jpeg)
What’s your favorite part about working in coffee?
I love it all ”the connection to the customers, seeing the staff grow and prosper, opening new shops in new neighborhoods, and building a company from the ground up, which now proudly employs 175 people.
Where do you ideally see yourself in 10 years?
Retired? But really, I have been doing this for 11 years already, so I can’t imagine doing anything else.
![Jonathan and his sister, Gabrielle Cheong, who co-owns Joe, in front of the Dekalb Market shipping container.](http://baristamagazine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/three-225x300.jpg)
Who and what inspires you?
I am inspired every day by the people who work with me ”I rise with them, rather than the reverse. Special shout-out to Ed Kaufmann, our director of roasting, and Amanda Byron, director of coffee, who started our amazing roasting wing a few months back. I am in awe of them.
What are you drinking right now?
At this moment? Bubbly water because I had three coffees already. But this morning I had a beautiful Gedeb Yirgacheffe from Phil & Sebastian in Calgary, which we currently have on the shelves at our Pro Shop.
![Jonathan trying out his daughter's toy coffee maker.](http://baristamagazine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/photo-28-225x300.jpg)
Crazy coffee experience you’d like to share?
Does the fact that I almost named the company Latte Land count? I very much doubt we’d be in the same place we are now if we had.
I just had that Gedeb. LOVELY COFFEE