Tucum Cafe is officially closed after the owner, Sid Matos, was evicted from the space for failing to pay rent.
We, the staff of Tucum, have not been able to contact Sid since September 24.

He currently owes us over $7000 for hours worked this fall.

After suddenly losing our jobs, we are raising money to help cover our expenses as we search for new employment during this difficult time.

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Tucum Cafe was a beloved community space in Bedstuy. Not only was it a place to grab a coffee, but it was also a cozy haven for members of the neighborhood to catch up with friends, attend fun events, and decompress from the usual bustle of NYC.

Sid Matos, the owner of the cafe, had always been a bit eccentric, but we as his staff believed that he had our best interests at heart. When he informed us that he was going on vacation at the end of September, he insisted that he would be back in two weeks. He also mentioned that he had left people in charge to help manage inventory and payroll in his absence. We trusted him because we saw no reason not to––how could he abandon such a vibrant, special place?

However, we have not been able to contact him since. We tried texting, calling, emailing, DMing, visiting his apartment, and contacting his friends in an effort keep the cafe running and be compensated for our work. The "people he had left in charge" were no where to be found. In fact, the only way we had to keep track of Sid was through his instagram page, where he posted frequent updates of his travels. Seeing his smiling face online while we panicked about paying our bills was painful, especially given how invested each of us had been in keeping Tucum afloat.

On October 17, our worst fears were confirmed when we found an eviction notice posted on the door of Tucum Cafe. This was the only official notice we have received of the cafe being closed. As of November 10, we have still not heard anything directly from Sid.

Over the past 20 months, we have loved being serving the neighborhood and being a part of your day to day lives. Although it is not your responsibility, we are asking for your help as we figure out our next steps. Right now, we have filed a case with the Department of Labor. We are taking legal action against Sid for the crime of wage theft.

Here's how you can help:

- You can donate to our campaign here! All proceeds will go directly to the staff who were most affected by the sudden closure of Tucum.

- You can share our story! We want to get Sid's attention, and we want to keep him from doing something like this to other people in the future.

- If you have any experience organizing or dealing with labor disputes, we would love to hear from you! Feel free to message us on our instagram, @tucum_nyc.

Support the Staff of Tucum Cafe

By Tucum Staff

Support the Staff of Tucum Cafe

Sid Matos, the owner of Tucum Cafe, has stolen over $7,000 from his staff. Help us recuperate from our sudden loss of employment.