Brooklyn Navy Yard (BNY) announced the opening a food service kiosk called Local Bites which provides temporary space inside Building 77 for graduates of the Food Business Pathways program (FBP), an entrepreneurial program for NYCHA residents interested in starting their own food businesses.
Local Bites will be located on the ground floor of Building 77, BNY's food manufacturing hub, and serve foods prepared by FBP graduates daily from 11:00am to 3:00pm,
"Local Bites is a welcome addition to Building 77's food manufacturing hub," said David Ehrenberg, president and CEO of the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation. "The Navy Yard is glad to offer this valuable opportunity to entrepreneurs from under-served areas. Providing this space aligns with our mission of working with neighboring communities to improve access to sustainable middle-class jobs."
The FBP program, a 12-week intensive business course facilitated by the city's Small Business Services, teaches the participants how to finance, operate and market their ventures. FBP trainees will continue to receive support even after graduation from Start Small Think Big, a nonprofit that supports under-resourced entrepreneurs to build businesses in underserved areas.
"I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to be part of the Local Bites kiosk," said Brandi Covington, owner of Cooking with Corey. "Food Business Pathways and Start Small Think Big have really helped clear the way for me to launch and grow my business. I am really excited about the learning experience, as well as the exposure to a larger and more diverse customer base."
Local Bites entrepreneurs will rotate every two months, each of them offering a different food option during their time managing the food kiosk. First up will be A Cake Baked in Brooklyn, run by Luquana McGriff, followed by Convington's Cooking With Corey, among others.
"It feels like such an accomplishment to have an opportunity to be the first business at Local Bites," said Luquana McGriff, owner of A Cake Baked in Brooklyn. "I grew up in Brooklyn, watching the Brooklyn Navy Yard from afar, and I am thrilled to have my first retail location be so close to my home, to my kitchen, to my community. I am excited about the potential sales opportunities, the exposure this could bring to my business, and to learn and prepare for my own retail location in the future."
The Local Bites kiosk offers a prime location for the budding entrepreneurs as new businesses are settling in at Building 77. The 60,000-square-foot food manufacturing hub will welcome local food and beverage businesses such as Russ & Daughters, Brooklyn Roasting Company, Grandchamps, Jalapa Jar, Pizza Yard, Rustik Tavern, The Brooklyn Greenery, The Food Sermon, Transmitter Brewery and We Rub You.
