Tiara Bennett Opens The First Black-Owned Bakery In Manhattan’s East Village In 25 Years And Has Plans For A Youth Program
Chef Tiara Bennett has turned her passion for baking into a business.
In an interview with Food52, the Brooklyn, NY, native admits pastry became an area of interest because it combined food, art, and science. Her grandmother was also instrumental in her pursuit of becoming a baker, often spending time with her in the kitchen, she said in conversation with the Legal Defense Fund.
“It was always a joy to be in the kitchen with her. My lifelong dream was to open a bakery,” Bennett expressed in an editorial with the Legal Defense Fund.
In 2018, Bennett attended culinary school and graduated with honors. Bennett launched her first pop-up two years later, on Juneteenth. She served her neighbors, and her sweet treats reached the wider community.
She gained experience working at high-end New York City restaurants. One opportunity was managing a pastry program near a Central Park cafe. Her boss at the time expressed interest in supporting her aspirations of owning a brick-and-mortar store. Fast forward to 2023, and The Pastry Box is situated in the East Village neighborhood.
“People in my neighborhood who knew me from passing out fliers and selling cookies before I had a shop were excited for me, but I was the first Black person to open a business on this block in decades, so there were some challenges,” Bennett said, according to the Legal Defense Fund.
Food52 and Times Square Chronicles confirm that The Pastry Box is the first Black-owned restaurant in Manhattan’s East Village in 25 Years.
However, Bennett adds that she feels right at home as an entrepreneur on the block. She recalls a feature from Eater about the shop’s chocolate chip cookies that changed the trajectory of the business.
“I’ll never forget that weekend,” she expressed, according to Food52. “Our sales were like insane. We like made rent in a weekend and I never had seen it. And that was like the beginning of the change where we actually started to be in the green.”
Bennett sees value in the business and understands the power of representation. In the future, she hopes to inspire others and plans to launch community programs for youth that focus on entrepreneurship, kitchen etiquette, and baking techniques.
“I believe a neighbor told me that it had been like 20 years since a Black-owned business opened in this neighborhood. So, the representation is really important… I didn’t choose the East Village. The East Village chose me, and I’m glad it did. And then we’re here to stay now,” she said to Food52.
