New York Cafe Shop Lays Off 21 Workers due to "Occupy Wall Street" Protests

Mark Epstein, owner of the Milk Street Cafe at 40 Wall Street, just let 21 employees go.

Due to the police barricades and the protesters "scaring away" business, Mr. Epstein was forced to lay off 21 people due to the drop in business.

According to Mr. Epstein, “Everything was going in the right direction. Sales continued to grow. We started to build our catering business. Costs were going down. I felt that by October or November we would break even.”

Then, the "Occupy Wall Street" protesters came and his business dropped at this new location on Wall Street.

“I came one Monday morning and I found the exit by the 2 or 3 subway station closed. I saw all these barriers – barricades – all up and down my street,” Epstein said. “At first I thought nothing of it, but after a week… it’s been six or seven weeks now.”

First the first time in the business' 30 years of operation, Mr. Epstein had to lay people off.

For the full article, click here.