Upper East Side café sees outpouring of support after baristas walk out over Israel-Hamas war

NEW YORK - Residents on the Upper East Side are showing an outpouring of support for the Israeli owner of a coffee house.

Customers lined up around the block at Caffe Aronne on Tuesday after rumors spread on social media that all the shop's baristas quit, allegedly over the owner putting up pictures of the hostages taken by Hamas during the October 7 terror attack.

"New York came together and supported us. It's really very special," said Aaron Daham, the owner of Caffe Aronne.  "We put up Israeli flags in all of our locations, and then  we put up kidnapping signs in all our windows and I think that’s what upset our team a lot of people were not willing to be a part of that and called it quits."

Competitors and other local businesses also stepped in to help the café out.

Customers at the café said they were eager to buy something there as the owner is donating a part of his proceeds to help Israel. 

"It’s all about the Jewish community we stick together, and we are proud of being Jewish," one woman waiting in line said.