Moa Coffee Inc — Restaurant in New York

I have never written a negative Google Review, but a situation at this establishment has left me with no other choice.

Two years ago, I walked into this Moa location, wanting to give a local spot a try...little did I know that the experience would change both my partner's life and my life. Since then, we've spent countless mornings and afternoons at Moa, getting to know Kiialeah and Carlos -- to the point that we'd move around our schedules to be able to visit and spend time alongside other community members that we got to know ourselves.

Separate from the issue at hand, it became quickly apparent that the ownership didn't put time and energy into the Astoria location -- from the clearly needed upgrades that sat without change for years to hearing about the ways that employees had to constantly shuffle their schedules to attempt to keep the owners afloat, it seemed like Moa Astoria was left to survive on life support by the owners, which is where Kiialeah came in.

If you got the chance to know Kiialeah, you know how important she was to the culture and community at Moa. She is an incredibly kind, generous, thoughtful person who got to know each customer and helped us all get to know each other too. It truly felt like we had the "coffee shop experience" that so many dream for, all curated by Kiialeah's care (and of course, Carlos' care as well). But of course, the owners would not know this as they were never present, nor did they try to cultivate any relationship with their customers in the interactions we've had with them (and those what we've heard about...).

When we heard that Kiialeah was let go due to an experience with a rogue customer (that other customers witnessed and helped her with due to the audacity of the situation), it was devastating, but not shocking considering how the ownership of Moa does business. Instead of having their employee's back and realizing that one upset customer wouldn't be the end of the operation, they were spineless and let the heart and soul of their operation go. If you've made it this far - YES, they let someone go that's held up their business all over a crazy customer not being happy with their drink...when other customers were there to support the fact that Kiialeah was reasonable and did her job as well as she could've considering the circumstances.

Forget all of the repeat customers that worked the business into their routines because of Kiialeah, forget all of the ways that Kiialeah kept the operation afloat while the owners' focus was on other stores, and of course, forget all the ways that Kiialeah marketed the business outside of working hours through her kindness and generosity. Again, the ownership of Moa does not care about the Astoria customer base, but rather only cares about their bottom line.

If there's one part of this entire situation that's the most ironic, it's that the ownership of Moa decided to let go of the heart and soul of their business over a situation with ONE customer, but as seen in the prior reviews and sentiment amongst many former Moa patrons...the ownership of Moa will be losing a lot more business. I know myself that I won't be stepping foot in Moa ever again, and I've spoken to others that feel the same.

One final note: from reading these reviews, if you feel similarly to how we all do, you can buy many of the same coffee products right across the street at Key Food. In fact, you can get a week's worth of cold brew for the cost of one drink at Moa...and you'll know that you're not contributing to the deep pockets of...

I’ve been a loyal customer of Moa for nearly three years, stopping by almost every other day, so it honestly pains me to write this. But the recent firing of Kiialeah, one of the heart-and-soul baristas at this place, is a level of tone-deaf arrogance I can’t ignore. Alongside Carlos, Kiialeah built the community that made Moa special. This wasn’t just a coffee shop, it was a neighborhood anchor. People came here not for the mediocre coffee or overpriced pastries, but for the people —for the connection, the warmth, the sense of belonging in the neighborhood. All of that came directly from the energy Kiialeah and Carlos poured into every single shift.

Let me be clear: the regulars at Moa know each other because of Kiialeah. She created a space where strangers became friends, where we all felt seen, welcome, and part of something bigger than just grabbing a latte. That doesn’t happen by accident — it happens because someone is out here doing the emotional labor every day to make it happen.

And now, in what can only be described as a colossally STUPID move, the Trump-supporting owners decided to fire Kiialeah over something so minor it barely warranted a conversation — all while stealing tips from their own staff (other baristas have told me). Let that sink in. They punished the one person holding their brand together while allegedly skimming money from the people doing the real work.

They’ve already raised prices three times— greedy much? But I stuck around because of the community. That community no longer exists. The owners have made it painfully clear they don’t value loyalty, labor, or local connection. Just profit.

Here’s my message: you destroyed what made your shop worth walking into. You don’t deserve the community that was built for you FOR FREE by the people you tossed aside. I’ll be going out of my way to let friends, neighbors, and fellow Astorians know to take their business elsewhere. You’ve lost more than a barista, you’ve lost your entire identity

Good luck surviving on burnt espresso...

I’ve gone to Moa nearly every single day for years—no exaggeration. As someone who works from home, this tiny coffee shop became a core part of my daily routine. Not because of the $6 pastries or the overpriced coffee, but because of the people behind the counter who made it feel like home.

It’s a small spot—like, barely-any-seats small. Friends used to ask why I kept going to this cramped, expensive shop, but it became my “Cheers” where everyone knew your name, your order, and your life updates. That kind of community doesn’t just exist it’s built, day in and day out, by the people who show up and care.

Kiialeah was the heart of it—she was the reason people came back. She brought kindness and humor to every shift, created connection and made every person feel welcome and seen, including the team she managed day in and day out. She made this little place feel bigger than it was and she was really good at her job.

So when the owners fired her, it wasn’t just disappointing, it was a complete betrayal of what made Moa special. It showed they don’t understand or value the people who built their business. They treated someone irreplaceable like she was expendable, and now they’ve lost what made this place worth coming to.

In a neighborhood like Astoria, where there’s a coffee shop on every corner, there are plenty of other options. I came for the people. And now that the best one is gone, so am I.

I’ll miss seeing the regulars that became friends and I’ll especially miss Carlos, who’s still there and just as much a part of what made Moa feel like home. He deserves better too.

This wasn’t just a mistake. It was a message. And if the owners don’t value the people who were the reason Moa mattered, they don’t deserve the community that showed up for...