At 84 years old, Alvarez currently works the overnight shift from 4 p.m. to 7 a.m., after which he’ll trek upstairs to his apartment above the store to sleep, read and listen to BBC. If he gets weary during his working hours, Alvarez will sometimes lie down on the floor behind the counter (the store is usually pretty quiet at 4 a.m.), or, when he’s got an employee on duty with him, he’ll rest on the makeshift bed in the kitchen (it’s actually just a rug the size of a yoga mat). To say he is deserving of a vacation 16 years from now is an understatement.
