The Perfect NYC Weekend Getaway for Food Industry Folks
This is a recap of my trip to New York City for CoffeeFest NYC and the New York Restaurant Show.
Along the way, I finally learned how to play dominoes (well, kinda), went to a concert and supported several Black-owned restaurants and businesses.
Ghost Town Oats Dominoes Tournament
Michelle R. Johnson, Founder & CEO of Ghost Town Oats premium oat milk, with several founder friends, hosted a dominoes tournament at Padmore’s in Brooklyn the night before CoffeeFest NYC.
Sadly, but predictably, I didn’t win.
Maybe it’s because I didn’t actually play in the tournament.
But I got a sneak peek at the grand prize (that I didn’t win): a ✨custom dominoes set✨
I had the passion fruit (?) mocktail made with one of Caribe & Co’s Caribbean-inspired syrups.
At CoffeeFest NYC, I tried the mango syrup and loved it.
And I’m already a customer of Ghost Town Oats, which you can get from Prosperity Market (which is also Black-owned).
Visiting BEM books
My first visit to BEM | books & more was back in October, which was a few weeks after they opened their brick and mortar location!
Now, they have tea and snacks available for purchase.
BEM hosts events for chefs, authors and creatives, have pop up markets with Brooklyn Supported Agriculture and more.
Danielle & Gabrielle Davenport built a culinary hub in Brooklyn and you can learn more about their offerings and programs.
CoffeeFest NYC and the New York Restaurant Show
Yes, I went to both shows. They were in the same building and it didn’t take long for me to walk the floor.
I don’t think I’m doing a recap on the restaurant show but I might write a quick one for CoffeeFest NYC.
At the New York Restaurant Show, I talked to one of the field engineers of Bear Robotics about their installation process, especially for the SERVI+ models.
I was hoping to see how multiple server robots interacted with one another.
But I got to experience this at Pepper Parlor, the robot restaurant in Tokyo.
Then I tried out Square’s new handheld terminal and compared it to one of their later models.
Note: Square was just in the news for laying off about half of their workforce. So, if you’re looking for a food tech job, maybe skip Square.
The new terminal is pretty lightweight and fits better in your hand or your apron pocket than the credit card machine.
Both, however, are expensive. The new model is $399.
Yep, and that’s the price for ONE terminal.
Back to the place that made it possible to hone my dominoes skills
It’s actually on my 2026 bingo card to learn a board game.
Thank you to Michelle and Padmore’s owner Jahmal, for getting me closer to hitting bingo this year.
I knew that Padmore’s was a chill cafe spot, great for both work and relaxing, but I was unaware that I would get one of the best iced matcha’s I’ve had in the area.
And I ran into Michelle and Chris who gave me stickers!
If you want good things to happen to you too, go to Padmore’s in Brooklyn.
Not leaving the city without loose leaf tea
When I was in the city for Food Funded a few months ago, I walked past Brooklyn Tea’s coming soon sign in JFK Airport.
Now, they’re open in Terminal 4 near Gate B29
You can order drinks and pastries from the counter or get tea bags or canisters and snacks.
They have two self checkout registers if you aren’t ordering from the counter, which I appreciated because my plane was about to start boarding.
I know that LaGuardia is the preferred airport for a lot of folks, but maybe you’ll dread JFK Airport a little less with a drink from Brooklyn Tea.
Didn’t like my Manhattan hotel. Should have stayed at Akwaaba
Akwaaba Mansion in Brooklyn Makes It Easy to Skip Manhattan Hotels
