1. Wondering what Tuan's been up to lately?

2 min read

Hi, it’s Tuan.

A month ago today, I closed the doors of Larry's Cà Phê, the first Vietnamese coffee shop in Brooklyn.

On May 11th, I woke up feeling both sad and relieved that the lights were off at both locations. I hadn’t received any texts from my staff that morning, a first in a long time. Returning to collect my personal belongings and sign the final paperwork made me uneasy: it marked the end of something I had worked so hard for.

To aid my healing journey, I created a plan:

1. Spend two hours a day for the first two weeks finishing work. You’d think that after closing the shop, the work ends, but that’s not true. I still have paying off vendors, payroll for the previous work week, transferring ConEd, and internet providers to new owners, and the list goes on…

2. Going cold turkey on coffee, weed, vaping, and gradually reducing alcohol. These things made me anxious and depressed. It was hard, but it couldn’t be harder than what I went through this past winter.

3. Clean my apartment because there is a lot of stuff I brought back from both locations, so my living space doesn't feel cluttered, and I feel more organized.

4. Walk my girlfriend to the subway every morning to spend quality time together and to get out of the apartment.

5. Reintroduce morning exercise, fresh air, sunlight, and eat healthy.

6. Enjoy activities like long walks, running, biking, reading, journaling, and playing with my cat: a lot of alone time with myself.

7. In the third week, I’ll run longer distances and bike around Brooklyn to reconnect with friends.

8. I’ll spend time at both locations handing out Larry's hats to those who pre-ordered them.

These steps have helped me get back to things I used to enjoy, but I know there’s more work to do. My therapist suggested I express my thoughts and feelings into words, which is why I’m on Substack. I no longer pour coffee; I’m pouring out my thoughts.

Thank you for being here with me. Talk to you soon!