“You guys are our last customers at this location,” said the barista as we ordered the final signature smoky maple tofu sandwich at the original location of vegan bakery Brooklyn Whiskers. His name is Troy Anthony Cordice Jr., a staple of my Brooklyn Whiskers visits. “We’re moving out,” he told me, “just three blocks down.”
The café, at first glance, looked the same: lived-in and snug, but at second glance, it made sense. The kitchen — which could be seen from the cash register — was unusually barren. “We’ll only be closed for a day,” Cordice reassured me, “and we’ll be reopening Wednesday.”
But that didn’t happen.
“We moved through the night Sunday night, Monday night, Tuesday night. We really were aiming for a Wednesday morning opening,” says co-owner Michael Minahan of the move with partner and co-owner Preesa Bullington.
They relocated to expand and continue growing their business, as well as to “serve the neighborhood,” he said. But they also moved because it “felt like the building was falling down around us,” shared Minhanan. “Our customers will know that every time it rained, you might get dripped on for the next two days right in front of point of sale.”
Their new location, at 1037 Broadway, is a modern, bright and roomy evolution of Brooklyn Whiskers. The bigger space lends itself to live music and supper clubs, and they’ve applied for a beer and wine license to serve craft beer, organic vegan wine and mimosas for brunch, happy hour and a later closing time. Still the same are the lineup of house-made croissants, cookies, pies, scones, muffins, and sandwiches.
For those of us who will miss curling up at the original café, we can find solace in the relics keeping its memory alive. Chairs, tables and their collection of cat books, cat artwork and, yes, even the cat bathroom, are still there, serving as backdrops to familiar faces like Cordice. And for those who will ask, furry friends are still welcome (as mine can attest). To keep up with news on their grand opening and evolving menu, follow along on Instagram.
