Nestled by the Ninth Street and Fourth Avenue stop on the F and G line is a piece of Jamaica. The Breadfruit Tree Cafe is about to celebrate its second year of business, thanks to the dedication from the friendly face behind the counter that welcomes you in. Corey Ebanks, the 28-year-old owner, manager and chef who you will see six days a week—the cafe is closed Saturdays—juggling business calls, preparing food and interacting with customers.
Even for this musician, producer and former real estate agent, being a first-time business owner was an ambitious undertaking. Luckily, food is something that he’s been passionate about since childhood.
“I’ve been cooking since I was 7 years old,” said Ebanks. “I used to experiment with pancakes and put food coloring in them and get yelled at for being near the stove unattended.”
As soon as you walk through the doors, the outside breeze coupled with the smooth sounds of reggae playing from a speaker—sometimes from Pandora but most times it’s music produced by Ebanks and his brother—sets a relaxing vibe.
Ebanks was born and raised in Brooklyn, but his parents are from Jamaica. The decision to serve Jamaican food and name the cafe after a food staple of the island was a no-brainer, but the name holds more significance than that. Breadfruit pays homage to the work that Ebanks’ paternal grandparents did in their St. Elizabeth neighborhood of Burnt Ground. There used to be a huge breadfruit tree in his grandparents’ backyard, and people used to come and pick from it to help feed their own families. His grandparents encouraged it. However, when they moved to the U.S., the tree was cut down by the new occupants because they didn’t like strangers coming into their yard.
“With Breadfruit Tree Cafe, my parents wanted to start another breadfruit tree and feed Brooklyn, and feed the community,” Ebanks said.
With the skyrocketing rent that comes with the continued gentrification of Brooklyn neighborhoods, Park Slope—the land of endless white-owned coffee shops—may not have seemed like the best place for a young, inexperienced Black entrepreneur to spread his wings. Fort Greene, where he grew up and still lives, was his first choice to launch the company, but there wasn’t a space available, and he, with the help of his parents, decided to take the risk. They were banking on the lack of Caribbean eateries in the surrounding area.
“It’s 2015, about to be 2016, Caribbean cuisine shouldn’t just be in one area of Brooklyn, why not just sprinkle it around?” Ebanks said. “We wanted to just spread the Caribbean love.”
Profit in the new year will determine if the risk was worth it. If not, changing locations to Fort Greene is in the back of his mind. It’s changing there too, but it’s a familiar environment, and compared to Park Slope, it’s brimming with culture and more diversity.
Catering to a predominately white neighborhood that is accustomed to Italian and American—and if they’re feeling extra adventurous, the occasional Indian, Mexican or Thai—cuisine has come with many learning experiences. Ebanks no longer serves some of the traditional dishes that he used to. Jamaica’s national dish of ackee, which is a yellow and plump fruit (treated like a vegetable), and saltfish was discontinued after customers were unsure about trying something that looked like eggs but wasn’t. The optimistic owner takes it all in stride and has formulated new ways to incorporate the flavors of the Caribbean in a more familiar presentation for his customers. One of his bestsellers is his jerk chicken wrap.
Ebanks, a vegetarian for 10 years, has used his childhood love of experimenting with food to create vegetarian alternatives to classic Caribbean dishes. Brown stew soy protein that mimics the flavors of brown stew chicken can be found on the menu.
“Food is more than just taking a bite, it’s a memory—the taste, the smell, everything about it,” said Ebanks. “If you close your eyes and eat something, you’re only remembering the texture or the taste.”
Being forced to find new and healthier ways to make and serve Jamaican favorites has helped to create a unique branding for the cafe. You can still indulge in the flavors of the island without worrying about your waistline.
Although he is the face of the cafe, his family’s support is evident, whether it’s behind the scenes or upfront. On the day of our interview, his cousin was manning the register, taking down orders, and at one point he restocked the toiletries in the bathroom while we sat at one of the tables that his brother had handpainted beautiful breadfruits on.
Keeping with the principle that his grandparents started by giving back to the community, Ebanks has also worked with Lutheran Hospital to bring in interns. He shared his experience of being fired from jobs because of his hair—sometimes worn out in an Afro. He wants to give young people the opportunity to develop their talents and skills without prejudice with a boss who is closer to their age than most.
In the next few years, Ebanks is dreaming big. He has hopes of extending his services to catering and making the cafe a franchise and opening up locations in Miami.
For more information on the Breadfruit Tree Cafe, please visit www.breadfruittreecafe.com or call 718-832-1234.