Jesse Zuniga and Javier Zuniga
East Village, Manhattan
The minute we heard Jesse and Javier were expanding Bad Habit Ice Cream into a small and sleek brick-and-mortar in the East Village, we were already standing out front waiting on having one of their house made ice creams with a view of Tompkins and a glass of natural wine. We currently can not get enough of the creme brûlée flavor they’ve been slinging all summer. With shards of burnt sugar and a caramel cream base, we needn’t say more to convince you. Read for more on how this passion project hit the big leagues in the East Village.
Full name, age, where are you from?
Jesse Zuniga, 28, Los Angeles, CA
Javier Zuniga, 32, Caracas, Venezuela
What is your title and where do you work?
Owners, Bad Habit & Caleta
Was food a big part of your upbringing?
Javi: Definitely. Even though I grew up in Venezuela, our family dinners were more influenced by Argentina and Chile; lots of fish and tons of salads.
Jesse: Despite growing up worlds apart, for both of us I think food was equally important in different ways. I still remember how at exactly 7:00pm my grandparents and I would sit down and eat seared fish with olive oil and lemon, simple roasted vegetables, a salad made up of produce from my grandfathers trip to the market. My favorite part was always the end of the meal when I would sneak a pint of Harry’s Berries to bed.
What are your earliest memories of dining out?
Javi: Ever since I was a little kid my parents would bring me with them to their favorite spot in town which was a true bistro; there were no frills, no big names, just amazing food.
Jesse: When I was still fairly young my whole family and I would go out to eat pretty often, which always meant so much to me. I was always a picky eater growing up (and pretty much exclusively wanted to eat Caesar salads) so for me it was less about the food and more about getting to spend time with the people who I couldn’t see on a daily basis.
If you could give a piece of advice to someone who wanted to pursue your career, what would it be?
Javi: Work hard and focus on your goal.
Jesse: Authenticity is key. There are thousands of creatives in this city; especially in hospitality, who have worked for years to perfect their craft; to stand out, lean in to what you have to offer that nobody else can.
What do you think working in this industry has taught you?
Javi: Resilience…. and a crazy instinct of survival.
Jesse: Awareness and mindfulness about everything. The space you’re in, what you’re cooking, what you’re eating, who sourced it, who will be sharing it later, the list goes on …
What's your favorite dish/drink on the menu?
Javi: Pickled Mussel Toast & a PBR
Jesse: It’s a tie. For Bad Habit, the Sweet Corn ice cream hands down…. I wait all year for it. From the Caleta menu, I would have to go with the Hojicha & Caramel tart.
What is your favorite place to go out and eat at and what are you ordering?
Jesse: As much as we appreciate “tweezer food’, in our hearts we would definitely rather be messily sharing moules frites, a steak and a bottle of wine at a bistro like Minetta Tavern.
Javi: …. Or we’ll go on a long walk and wind up sharing tacos on a random stoop in the East Village from one of our favorite taco trucks
You’re on a desert island, what are the 5 kitchen items you need to run your business?
…Well hopefully it’s a relatively cold island! We’d need:
1. Ice Cream Machine (we’ve since upgraded but will always have a soft spot for the Lello that got us through the first year of our business)
2. Pasteurizer
3. Ice Cream Scoops
4. Freezer
5. Notebooks! Doing everything ourselves from making the ice cream, selling it, delivering it to our stockists around the east coast, throwing events, working service, etc means that organization is key.
