On October 21, Brooklyn Roasting Company announced it was filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and closing all if its brick-and-mortar locations in New York City. During the time of the COVID-19 pandemic, this is too common as business are struggling to stay open.
I grew up in the Pacific Northwest but Brooklyn was the place I found a sense of home. Brooklyn Roasting Company (BRC) was my third place that I would stop in before starting the work day. At the time I was running my own company and it often was the workplace for me. I'd spend hours there filling up on the Maple Shay Almond Latte or Cortados as I worked on client projects.
It's impossible to get someone from Manhattan to come over to Brooklyn. Since the coffee shop I went to in DUMBO was right along the F stop, the occasional miracle would happen where someone from Manhattan would come over to meet me since it was the first stop into Brooklyn. Anyone who lives in Oakland can understand how this feels with their friends in San Francisco.
BRC was the gathering place for old and new friends. Many people I'd sit next to were freelancers and I have made life-long relationships from being present there.
BRC was a metaphorical Brooklyn Bridge. I hope we can pull off one more miracle and that BRC opens up for business again. Regardless of the outcome, thank you so much for the memories, forged friendships, and a third place to call home.
