Making it work
BY JESSICA PARKS
Restaurants in Brooklyn’s
Little Caribbean have shifted
gears to make it through the
coronavirus pandemic, relying
on innovation, creativity and a
focus on takeout and delivery,
according to area locals.
“I am seeing reduced hours
but I am seeing a bit more of
innovation and creativity in
terms of delivery,” said Shelley
Worrell, founder of the Little
Caribbean commercial corridor
and of the lifestyle brand
Caribbeing. “A lot more businesses
have gone online.”
Little Caribbean was offi -
cially recognized in 2017 after
Worrell, a lifelong Flatbush
resident, took the lead in organizing
the local business network.
Today, Little Caribbean
consists of about a dozen businesses
on Nostrand and Flatbush
avenues that specialize
in Caribbean cuisine and cultural
goods.
As the threat of COVID-19
resulted in lighter foot traffi
c in the area, many eateries
trimmed in-store hours and refocused
DO IT FOR THEM.
COURIER LIFE,10 JULY 31-AUGUST 6, 2020
operations on takeout
and delivery.
“Many businesses had to
reduce their hours quite dramatically,”
Worrell said. “They
risked losing their business.”
At the height of the pandemic,
Creme and Cocoa
Creamery — a small-batch ice
cream shop on Nostrand Avenue
— shaved its schedule
down to three days a week.
Since the outbreak’s onset, the
Little Caribbean business has
relied heavily on delivering
pints of ice cream online.
But, the shop’s famed ice
cream-making classes — a
consistent source of income for
the seasonal creamery — have
been canceled until further notice.
“We were fully booked, we
had all different types of initiatives
and teamed up with other
entities for ice cream making
classes,” said Omar Thorpe,
owner of the family-operated
creamery. “Those were all canceled.”
The mass cancellation of local
festivals and other summer
events has also taken a toll on
the creamery’s fi nances.
To make up for lost business,
Thorpe held a “social distancing
block party” in Harlem,
where neighbors were able
to get together safely and enjoy
some homemade ice cream —
and, as of mid-July, the shop
can offi cially serve patrons in
its backyard.
Rain Eatery, a restaurant
and juice bar on Nostrand Avenue,
was one of the few businesses
to keep its operating
hours the same throughout the
pandemic.
Rain Eatery is open for al fresco dining. Rain Eatery
“I just made sure the product
I am giving to the public
was spot on and 100 percent at
all times.” said Kevin Skinner.
But, Skinner said the prices
of many of his menu’s ingredients
skyrocketed during the
pandemic, forcing him to raise
prices to stay afl oat.
During the height of the
pandemic, Skinner said nearly
90 percent of the restaurant’s
revenue came from delivery
and, as he relied on third-party
delivery services, that income
was subject to high fees.
“We are grateful for it, but
the best thing is for walk-ins,
and calling ahead and picking
up your order,” he said.
Like Creme and Cocoa
Creamery, Rain has partially
reopened for al fresco dining
— something Skinner says
has given the business a bit of
a boost.
In the meantime, a representative
from the city’s tourism
board stressed the importance
of preserving the city’s
cultural enclaves.
“COVID is a real setback for
small businesses and emerging
neighborhoods like this,”
said Nevah Assang, senior vice
president of NYC & Company.
“What makes New York so special
is to have all these wonderful
experiences and now since
we can’t travel it is a great opportunity
to visit these neighborhoods
to get the fl avor.”
Small businesses in Brooklyn’s ‘Little
Caribbean’ pivot to stay afl oat amid crisis
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