Corey started working at the original DT-UT when he was 17 (which was open from 1997 to 2002). As a Barista and later the General Manager he fell in love with the feel of the place. Corey stayed there until he was 22, when DT-UT lost its lease. After that he bartended at Biddy’s Pub, another local favorite on the Upper East Side, and became partner there when he was 25. While bartending Corey missed the food industry and realized that he wanted a to make the industry his career. He had been a general manager, a barista, a caterer and even a dishwasher – but he had never been behind the scenes cooking in the actual kitchen. So while bartending he began also working part-time as a cook in a restaurant in midtown. After that he knew the food service industry from every perspective, and felt prepared to open his own place. As a bartender, he got a good feel for the kind of food and drink experiences that New Yorkers want. It became clear to Corey that the Upper East Side needed a community space where customers feel welcome to take it easy and enjoy a good cup of coffee. It was a void that hadn’t been filled since the original DT-UT closed down. The new DTUT is designed so that you can be as comfortable in it as you would be in your own living room furnished with a variety of couches and armchairs from thrift stores around the city, mostly in Brooklyn and Queens.