Vincy fashion designer, son open Lips Café
By Nelson A. King
Vincentian fashion designer
Donna Weekes and her son,
Jamane, had plans of opening
up a business together for
years, and their vision turned
into reality recently with the
grand opening of Lips Café in
East Flatbush, Brooklyn.
Located at 1412 Nostrand
Ave., between Linden and Martense,
Lips Café is an open
space, “marrying great coffee,
a pleasant café experience, art,
and Caribbean culture and cuisine,”
according to consultant
Leah Rae.
Rae told Caribbean Life that
the Weekes kicked off the official
opening with a ribboncutting
ceremony, where 400
friends, family and locals
attended throughout the day,
including New York Sen. Zellnor
Myrie, representative for
the 21st Senatorial District
in Brooklyn, who addressed
patrons.
DJ Njamba played a mix of
Afrobeats, soca, reggae and hip
hop to set the vibe, as guests
mixed and mingled, enjoying
food catered by Vincentian
Corporate Chef, Kamal Rose,
as seen on the popular show
Beat Bobby Flay, Rae said.
She said lips logo teas and
coffee cups by Ethel Fashion,
Donna Weekes’ clothing brand,
were sold and are still available.
Keeping it Brooklyn, Rae
said Jamane and Donna chose
Brooklyn Roasting Co. and
Brooklyn Tea as the official coffee
and tea distributors, complementing
their Caribbean-
American lunch and breakfast
menu, including saltfish and
roti, among assorted bagels,
pastries, salads and soups.
“The open space with sleek
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Caribbean Life, S 24 eptember 20-26, 2019 BQ
accents, multi-colored velvet
seating will now be the hub of
family, culture and creativity
in the East Flatbush neighborhood,
where Jamane grew up,”
Rae said. “Pop events, open mic
poetry nights and more are set
to take place here.”
She said Jamane has become
a coffee connoisseur over the
last few years, visiting different
shops throughout New York’s
boroughs and making it a point
to visit the best ones in cities
across the US.
Over the last four years, Rae
said Jamane has been unwavering
in his goal of opening
up a coffee shop, adding that
traveling to various shops
“imprinted the idea that coffee
shops should have a more grandeur
experience than the ubiquitous
Starbucks and Dunkin
Donuts.
“This year gave him what felt
like destiny: the opportunity
to open up a coffee shop and
café in his childhood neighborhood
of East Flatbush with his
mother, Donna Weekes,” she
said, stating that Lips Café is
“something truly special brewing
in East Flatbush, the newest
black-owned, family-owned
Patron gets sample at Lips Cafe. Lips Cafe
coffee shop in the neighborhood.”
Jamane said a coffee shop is
“more than just a place to get
an espresso.
“It’s a creative space, where
people of all backgrounds go
to either kick-start their day or
lounge and create content,” he
told Caribbean Life. “Whether
it’s writing a school paper,
working remotely, the venue
for meetings, or ingesting the
environment around them, a
coffee shop is a hub for progression.
“I wanted to create that
space for people and become
part of the fabric of my community,”
Jamane added. “Lips
Café is to be is the embodiment
of this.”
Mother and son Donna and
Jamane Weekes. Lips Cafe
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