The outside of Ms. Dahlia’s Café on the 440th block of Norstrand Ave in Brooklyn is a sign of changing times. There are wicker and metal benches nestled in the nook of bay windows with colorful cushions placed around. It’s an unusual sight on the otherwise bustling but often grimy street.
“There’s curb appeal with the pillows on the bench,” said Margo Lewis, co-owner of the one-year-old café. “Nobody is doing that around here.”
She’s right. On this short block, located in Bedford Stuyvesant, there is the inevitable corner convenience store, an African hair-braiding salon and apartment buildings built in the 1920’s. What could have been thriving storefronts are often just grates of past businesses. Trash is common along the sidewalk and in the gutters.
Ms. Dahlia’s outside benches and cushions are a novelty in Bed Stuy, her carefully swept sidewalk an island of cleanliness. And no other business can match Ms. Dahlia’s cucumber lemonade. These once rare cafés and coffee shops have now become commonplace.
Walk along any major street in Bed Stuy and chances are there is a café or bakery that wasn’t there five years ago. One theory is gentrification.
Bed Stuy has seen a drastic increase in its middle and upper class residents, many of them young black professionals, says Michael Rafferty, economic development officer at Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration.
The new and wealthier arrivals “create a demand for services that weren’t asked for five years ago,” Rafferty said.
The recent increase in new businesses is also a surprising byproduct of the listless economy, which has depressed rent prices for commercial real estate in Bed Stuy, creating opportunities for a new crop of budding entrepreneurs.
“It’s been really hard for folks to find jobs. And most people take one of two options: go back to school or start a business,” Rafferty said.
In the last three months several bakeries and café’s have opened in the area, particularly around the Clinton Hill boarder to the west and a few blocks off of Fulton Street in the south.
Among the newcomers is Brooklyn Stoops at 748 Myrtle Ave, a cafe where costumers can enjoy breakfast or brunch.
Rafferty, who runs the Business Improvement District of Fulton Street, is excited about the new businesses.
“People definitely want to see bakeries,” he said, “there’s a substantial amount of purchasing power here.”
However, starting a new business isn’t the same as maintaining a successful one.
“Once the buzz wears down,” said Rafferty, “there are a lot of systemic challenges. I’ve seen a lot of businesses open and close pretty quickly.”
The economy that makes it possible for these businesses to be open, Rafferty said, is also what keeps them struggling.
“Consumer confidence and consumer spending is a major hurdle for every industry,” he said. “Spending isn’t as good as it used to be.”
For every store that opens in Bed Stuy, it’s possible that another is closing.
Take for instance Tiny Cup. Lisa Bayer opened the store three years ago at 279 Nostrand Ave, just a few blocks from Ms. Dahlia’s. Located right in the center of Bed Stuy, Tiny Cup was a popular attraction, serving Seattle-style coffee and offering free wireless internet access.
A few weeks ago, Tiny Cup patrons were greeted with a sign on the door announcing a change in management.
“This has been a personally difficult year for me and the decision to move my life in a different direction has been a challenging one,” wrote Bayer. “After much reflection, I have made the choice to turn over the management and ownership of Tiny Cup.” According to Bayer’s letter, the owners of Izzy’s Coffee Den, a store in North Carolina, will be taking over.
Other local bakeries are struggling but they aren’t out of the game yet.
Sebastien Chaqui and Mylene Mirande added their store, La Table Exquise, to the line-up of confectioners in Bed Stuy in November 2009. But unlike other stores, La Table Exquise offers a twist that Chaqui and Mirande hope will make their store unique: it is the first and only sugar free bakery in Bed Stuy.
From chocolate croissants to fresh mixed-berry tarts, 90 percent of what Chaqui makes is sugar free—a conscious response to the high number of diabetics living in the community.
Despite the beauty of Chaqui’s pastries, he and Mirande have been struggling to develop a solid clientele. In September, they briefly considered closing.
“I lose money every day,” said Chaqui. “Sometimes you have to do what you have to do. You can’t lose money everyday like this for years and years.”
La Table Exquise was featured on the Bed Stuy Blog last week to encourage neighbors to patron the store.
“Everyone who tried their pastries loved them and it looked like the business would be a favorite spot for Bed Stuy residents,” posted the blogger. “Instead, business during the summer months was slow, and after an increase in business in the early fall, things are slowing down again. We really need to give them our support.”
Rafferty says a lot of the problems with small businesses like La Table Exquise is that the owners seem to be short on actual business acumen.
“They’ve got a great product. It’s attractive but they don’t spend enough time on advertising and marketing, “ he said. “Often times the creativity needed to keep a business sustainable isn’t thought about.”
First time costumer, Jamilah Lemieux, wasn’t even aware that her fresh berry tart was sugar free and was shocked to learn of the store’s specialty.
“That changes the game,” she said. “I’m a lot more impressed.”
When asked why there is no sign to indicate his bakery’s unique offerings, Chaqui says it is not to deceive sugar lovers but simply because he forgets.
Lemieux thinks that while La Table’s sugar-free treats are unique, they are not in line with the neighborhood’s expectations.
“I really enjoyed my tart. It’s cute and different for the neighborhood,” said Lemieux. “I appreciate that he has a specialty but I’m not sure if it’s sustainable yet.
La Table Exquise from La Toya Tooles on Vimeo.
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