One has two dogs in East Harlem, the other, two children on the Upper East Side. But as business partners and comrades in recovery, their weekends are similar.
As co-founders of Birch Coffee, a coffee roaster and local chain of cafes, Jeremy Lyman, 38, and Paul Schlader, 39, are used to being together for most of the day. They have even collaborated on video projects, including “ Stay Regular,” in which they interview favorite customers, and more recently, “ Birch Brewmasters Present, ” a comedic take on coffeemaking. The two — who now oversee 10 locations — met in a 12-step recovery program 13 years ago. Mr. Lyman lives in East Harlem with his two pitbulls, Maki and Juna. Mr. Schlader lives on the Upper East Side with his wife Kara, 35, the head of accounts payable for Birch Coffee, and their two children, Ava, 6, and Wesley, 3.
DOGS, CHILDREN Jeremy: My idea of sleeping in is 6:30. Normally I wake up at 4:30, but on Sundays, I indulge a little. I have to rouse the dogs on weekdays to take them out for their walks, but on Sundays, they wake me up when they’re ready to go out. I have bottles of cold brew in my fridge and grab one first thing. Paul: I wake up at 6 during the week, but on the weekends, Kara and I stay in bed till 7:30. We could sleep longer, but the kids wake us up. I also start the day with a bottle of cold brew.
EARN THE SHOWER Jeremy: I’m usually at Equinox by 8 a.m. It’s hard for me to get a jump on the day if I don’t feel as though I have earned my shower so I make it a priority to be active in the morning. I run on the treadmill and do weights and stretches. Paul: I am training for a Spartan Race, which is basically an obstacle course. The trainer I see during the week gives me a weekend program which involves pull-ups, burpees and dead lifts. Jeremy will join me if he’s up for it, and we’ll usually grab coffee together afterwards.
BRUNCH Jeremy: My pops, Gary, and I meet for breakfast every Sunday at Ludlow House, on the Lower East Side. We catch up on non-work-related topics since he also moonlights as my attorney. I eat their egg sandwich, and he gets an open-face Cheddar omelet. Paul: Kara will make us a stellar brunch. It could be hash-brown waffles, and she also makes killer eggs Benedict and coconut pancakes. Kara and I usually drink a pot of Assam tea.
OUT AND ABOUT Jeremy: When I get home from brunch, I take Maki and Juna on a walk through Marcus Garvey Park, in East Harlem. We always venture through the amphitheater. Paul: We love checking out different places in the city with the kids. If the weather is nice, even if it’s cold, we go to Carl Schurz Park by the East River. We’ve also been spending a lot of time exploring the museums. Ana and Wesley love the “Our Senses ” exhibit at the American Museum of Natural History.
MEETING Jeremy: My early evenings are spent attending a recovery meeting on the Upper East Side. The meeting is a significant part of my routine. Paul is there too. We have a unique connection. We know how to communicate with one another, and we take the tools we’ve learned in recovery and apply them to the business. Paul: The weekly recovery meetings are a foundational part of my week. As a family man and small-business owner, it’s critical to have my body and mind in tip-top shape. Jeremy and I will always be bonded in the struggle we have shared.
DINNER CHEZ PAUL Jeremy: After the meeting, I head to Paul’s house for dinner. I love his kids and Kara and consider them to be my family. Paul: When Jeremy walks in the door, Wesley and Ava run to greet him. Kara always cooks us a great meal. In the winter, it’s stews and veggie chilies. We may also have tofu or salmon rice bowls.
TELEVISION Jeremy: If I can muscle through, I watch HBO’s Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, which is on at 11. If I am wiped, however, I’ll be asleep by 10. Paul: We put the kids in bed at 7:30. Ava stays up and reads for two hours while Wesley keeps running out of his bed to say goodnight to us yet another time. Kara and I are curled up on the living room couch watching our shows. Right now, we can’t get enough of “The Crown.” We move into our bedroom around 10:30, read for a half-hour or so, and then, it’s lights out.
