New Jersey Coffee Shop Gives Federal Workers Free Coffee

NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ — A popular coffee shop that started in New Brunswick, but now has locations in Hoboken and Jersey City, is offering free coffee and pastries to all federal employees affected by the continued government shutdown, now dragging into its 21st day on Friday, Jan. 11.

Hidden Grounds coffee shop has that sign — pictured above — up in each of their four locations, which reads: "If you work for the following government agencies, your coffee is on us: Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Justice, Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development, Congress, Defense, Education and any other we might have missed."

We're assuming that also includes TSA agents, who right now are working without pay at our nation's airports, including Newark Liberty.

The last line reads: "Valid until our government gets it together again."

Hidden Grounds has two locations on Easton Avenue in New Brunswick, where they started, and at 148 First Street in Jersey City, as well as a small cafe at 700 Garden Street in Hoboken.

"You can see the impact on the people. Some of them can't afford to pay rent or buy groceries," Anand Patel, who owns Hidden Grounds coffee shops with his partner, Spoorthi Kuma, told TAP Into New Brunswick. "It's a very small gesture and if people can take a little something from it, we're grateful."

"We are doing this because it’s the least we can do," Patel continued, speaking to this Patch reporter. "We just hope to give them something to look forward to before they get their paychecks."

Top photo from Shutterstock; photo of sign used with permission from Hidden Grounds.