u/Intrepid-Diamond-315

Who and what are the men sitting in the corners of bodegas? I learned about bodega cats on Wikipedia, but those mysterious men are puzzling after living in NYC for a while. I’ve asked people but they don’t know or understand what and who I mean! And I don’t want to ask bodega guys because it’s not really my business.

They don't look like customers, but they don't always seem like employees either.

They do always have their own chairs, though. They're usually on their phones, sometimes they're drinking beer. Usually they are silent, sometimes not.

What’s their function in corner shops?