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At the age of 29, Ramin Kamfar had everything he needed. Or soone would think. He had an MBA from Wharton and a job heloved--vice president at a large Wall Street banking firm. So whygive up financial stability and security to open, of all things, acoffee store?
"What I saw happening in the coffee market was somethingthat happens to a segment of the U.S. food service market everydecade," says Kamfar, who dove into untested waters in 1993when he left Wall Street to start New World Coffee. "[Thecoffee market] was going from mom and pop stores to being branded.I wanted to create an East Coast alternative to Starbucks. At thetime, everyone said starting a coffee chain in New Yorkwouldn't work."
But Kamfar has sent the naysayers packing--probably with a cupof his brew--with the success of his business, New World Coffee& Bagels Inc., which now has 45 locations (15 franchised, 30company-owned) in 19 states along the East and West coasts.
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