Cafe Operator Joeleen Ng on Running Spaces in Climbing Gyms
The Story
Joeleen Ng operates two cafes inside New York climbing gyms: Bivy at Vital Brooklyn and Georgie’s in Manhattan. Ng, who previously worked in pharmaceutical advertising, took over Bivy after the original operator left, despite having little hospitality experience. She learned on the fly, eventually hiring a team and developing processes to maintain consistency. When she opened Georgie’s, she drew on two and a half years of experience from Bivy. Ng sources pastries from Manna One bakery, which she visited growing up, and offers Hong Kong-inspired menu items as an homage to her grandmother. Although Georgie’s was initially expected to serve mainly climbers, it became popular with non-climbers after being featured on TikTok. The space functions as an all-day cafe, but Ng notes that many customers work on laptops late into the evening, creating challenges for transitioning to a bar atmosphere. Ng also hosts events such as small business markets, trivia, and mahjong nights to foster community.
Key Facts
- Joeleen Ng operates Bivy in Brooklyn and Georgie’s in Manhattan, both inside climbing gyms.
- She started by doing pop-ups at Vital Brooklyn before taking over the Bivy cafe space when the original operator left.
- Ng had no hospitality background; she previously worked in pharmaceutical advertising and learned cafe operations on the fly.
- She hired a team of 15 to 20 employees, many of whom were climbers before working at the cafe.
- Georgie’s became popular with non-climbers after being featured on TikTok; most customers now are not climbers.
- Ng sources pastries from Manna One bakery, which she visited weekly growing up.
- The menu includes Hong Kong-inspired items honoring her grandmother, who immigrated from Hong Kong in the 1960s.
- Georgie’s operates as an all-day space, but many customers stay on laptops until 8 p.m. or later, making bar service difficult.
- Events hosted include small business markets, pop-ups, trivia, and mahjong nights through Green Tile Social Club.
Conflicting Reports
No conflicting reports identified in the source article.
Still Unclear
No open questions identified in the source article.
Misconceptions
No widespread misconceptions addressed in the source article.
Key Figures
- Joeleen Ng: operator of Bivy and Georgie’s cafes
- Nick Mancall-Bitel: Eater editor (quoted in reference to another article)
- Will Mester: from Baltimore’s The Wren (quoted in that referenced article)
Sources: eater.com
