East Village Businesses Team Up, Create Root Beer Float To Help Charities
By Alex Silverman
WCBS 880 Reporter
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Colin Cosell serves barbecue and booze on one side of Avenue A. On the other, Mikey Cole scoops out ice cream. But together, they're proving they know what it means to be a local business.
"I'm born and raised here, 36 years," said the jovial Cole, standing behind a blue cart packed with homemade sweets from his shop, Mikey Likes It.
Cosell, grandson of the famed sportscaster Howard, hasn't been in the East Village quite that long, but he's well aware of how the neighborhood has changed over the years. "But people in the community are still struggling," the manager of Percy's BBQ & Darts told WCBS 880.
East Village Businesses Team Up, Create Root Beer Float To Help Charity
"Every corner, two or three corners, someone's homeless. They need something to eat," Cole added.
The pair decided to join forces to do something about that. And it just so happened that between them, they had two things that are pretty perfect together: Not Your Father's Root Beer, loaded with 5.9 percent alcohol, and Bailey's Irish Cream-flavored ice cream.
Twelve dollars might seem steep for a root beer float, but only until you hear where half the proceeds are going.
"To pay the community back for supporting us," said Cole. On Friday, the first night of what they're calling the Avenue A Collaboration, the customers got to vote on a neighborhood charity. "Asking, how would you like to help the community?"
They envision an Avenue A Collaboration that grows beyond Percy's and Mikey Likes It, but for the time being they say they'll choose a different local organization every month or two.
"We want people to know that two businesses that otherwise have nothing to do with each other can team up for the greater good," said Cosell.
"One float at a time," added Cole.
