Charles Milite: I went to school for Restaurant Management, so in the back of my mind that's what I always wanted to do. Modeling was actually one of those unplanned detours that lasted almost 7 years. I had an amazing time, traveled all over Asia and Europe and fortunately, at the end of the day, I had made enough money to skip right to opening a place. I met my two partners, Carolyn Benitez and Eric Petterson on the job and together we decided to take a slice of what we had seen and eaten around the world and bring it to New York.

Charles Milite: Fashion Modeling for me was an extension of college where you get paid and don't have to study. I'll tell you this, you had better save your money because it's over fast. My partners and I were fortunate that we had the foresight to think long range and planned for a life after modeling. You don't always see that.

Charles Milite: The fun part about being in this business, like modeling, is that there is no typical day. We normally get into the office around 9:30 and just start attacking the day's issues. We meet with our GM's and Chefs to review the day's game plan then spend time with the controller to look at the previous day's numbers. We effort to beat the same day sales for the previous year, that's our bench mark. After that, we just deal with the minutia of running a business and managing employees, everything from ripped fabric on a chair to smudges on a waitresses' apron.

Charles Milite: I am inspired to create really. A restaurant is like putting on a play, there is so much that goes into what makes a place click. I really think we understand the formula. The staff are your actors, the menu is the screenplay. The ambiance is the set design and the music is the score.

Charles Milite: There are many elements that converge and make Coffee Shop and our other places "hip." I think facilitating creativity is key. Whether it's with our food and drinks, or allowing our great-looking staff to dress fun and sexy, it all centers around creativity. In fact, much of our staff is in the fashion industry and they make their own clothes, which often appear down the road in stores right here in New York. So the environment in which I work is extremely creative and edgy.

I also like to travel and have a discretionary eye. When I see trends from around the world I like to test them out. You need to be fresh with ideas and take chances.