Breaking Bread Stuy

Bread Stuy has closed its doors. The beloved cafe on Lewis Avenue shuts its doors for good after seven years serving the neighborhood of Bedford-Stuyvesant.

The closing is a big blow to the heart of the community, as the java and pastry shop has served as a mainstay and hub for artists, musicians, activists, students and locals to rendezvous. Now, the gates are permanently pulled down on 403 Lewis Avenue.  

A sign slapped on the front window of the quaint shop reads, “Closed by order of the Commissioner of Health and Mental Hygiene for operating without a permit.”

The shop’s owner Lloyd Porter says he’s not going to fight back against the city. He’s decided to call it quits and not reopen.

On an ordinary Saturday spring afternoon, the fenced-in outdoor eating area would be packed with laptop users, readers and a virtual United Nations of clientele chatting over tea and light fare like soups, panninis, croissants and muffins.

During the week, business bustled mostly with caffeine fixes to go.

“I think it is a staple in the community," said Joe Donovan, a local musician who lives around the corner. “It’s a meeting point place and friendly establishment. There’s no other place to get good coffee and hang out."

The departure is unexpected for many regulars but problems began brewing back in 2010. The city shut down the business because of failure to pay taxes. Mr. Porter says he entered into a payment plan and the flow and sale of coffee resumed.

More recently, on May 9, 2011, the city determined Bread Stuy to have 37 points in violations which under the recent restaurant grading system would have put the establishment at a “C” grade. It has been sitting at a grade “B.”  

“We don’t have a city grading system that’s about health and hygiene. It’s about collecting fees and making money,” Mr. Porter said. He added that all these forces converged at once and the city was suddenly forcing him to pay all the arrears immediately, as well as new fees to regain a permit and operate again.

It was simply too much of a burden for his small business.

Mr. Porter still has a big smile on his face and a big stake in the community. His child attends the Stuyvesant Heights Montessori School, and he was out on Lewis Avenue this past Saturday flipping pancakes for a charity fundraiser right across the street from his shuttered cafe. 

After seven years in business “I feel we did a good job, we came to do what we meant to do, making a difference in the community. The community needs a place to come together to plug in, a space to create,” Porter affirmed.

The absence of that creative cornerstone known as Bread Stuy will certainly be felt. 

“It’s kind of crazy” said Bed-Stuy Resident Moyo Hope. “Bread Stuy is an institution in this neighborhood. I’ve been coming here every morning for five years.”