Two sisters will soon open a bookstore cafe in Brooklyn’s Bed-Stuy neighborhood. Their main dish? A collection of food books that highlights the Black Diaspora’s culinary style.
As they await the fall debut of their physical store, Gabrielle and Danielle Davenport launched BEM in 2021. The sibling entrepreneurs started the brand online, building an in-person clientele through pop-ups. Now, they have secured a location, amplifying this historically Black community with a curation of books that represent them.
“People have told us very explicitly, ‘We need this,’” Danielle told Eater.
BEM’s Macon Street location will feature only Black authors and works that tie into its food-focused theme. From The Edna Lewis Cookbook to Crystal Wilkinson’s Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts and even Toni Morrison’s Beloved, each book will either focus on cultural recipes or deep connections to the Black culinary experience.
The sisters first developed the idea in 2019 through Brooklyn Public Library’s PowerUP program. They sought to answer the long-awaited prayer for Black food bookstores, especially in the culturally rich neighborhood of Bed-Stuy. There, Black people of many backgrounds, from the Caribbean and Africa to the American South, call the area home.
This bookstore for culinary expertise and conversation was also fueled by communal support. A Kickstarter campaign launched in 2024 boosted the women’s financial backing to $75,000. They do not own their actual place yet, with the seller offering a lease instead. However, the business owners still feel optimistic about BEM’s future in Bed-Stuy.
“There’s just so much energy around stories,” added Danielle. “We talk a lot about it being a place for discovery.”
They hope to become a mainstay in the neighborhood, offering more than one’s typical bookstore cafe through its dedication to Black works. Whether as a research ground for scholars or an author’s stop on a book tour, BEM is ready to spearhead the rise of Black food bookstores.
In the meantime, they will collaborate with Nicole Taylor, author of Watermelon & Red Birds: A Cookbook for Juneteenth and Black Celebrations, for a Juneteenth event that soaks up the culture.
RELATED CONTENT: Pasadena Bookstore Named After Octavia Butler Becomes Safe Haven For LA Fire Victims
