Lakou Cafe — Black-Owned Brooklyn

What do you do when your “dream job” isn’t your dream anymore? This was the question nagging Cassandre Davilmar five years ago, back when she was a corporate lawyer at one of New York City’s top firms. “It was something I was excited about since middle school, and then I actually started doing it,” says Cassandre, 30. “I learned a lot, but I can’t say it was my joy to read contracts all day long.”

After a pivot to investment banking that still wasn’t quite right, Cassandre decided to focus on what she really wanted: to have a positive impact on her Crown Heights neighborhood. “There weren’t a lot of community places here where people could sit down and talk to each other” she says. In May of 2018 she and business partner Isiah Michael opened Lakou Cafe, a casual restaurant for creative smoothies, crepes, salads and kava drinks that doubles as a neighborhood gathering space for movie nights, art shows, wellness workshops and more.

“There weren’t a lot of community places here where people could sit down and talk to each other.”

Lakou means “the courtyard” in Haitian Creole, traditionally a communal meeting place. Accordingly, Lakou Cafe reflects elements of the outdoors: glossy wood tables, wicker light fixtures, pops of green and yellow, plenty of natural light. In the spirit of the traditional lakou, the cafe also hosts a bustling calendar of events, including art exhibitions (the work lining the walls, by local artists, changes every two weeks), movie and game nights, musical performances, book launches, and “Self Care Mondays” every week offering guided meditation, journaling, readings, reiki and kava cocktails.

“The great thing about this space is that people want it to do well and want to leave their own stamp on it,” Cassandre says of neighbors who frequently volunteer their talents and ideas for new events. “It’s not solely my vision; it’s the community’s vision as well. Now when people come in here, they don’t only say ‘what’s up’ to us; they say ‘what’s up’ to the customers. People are getting to know each other around here more.”

Born in Brooklyn and raised in Miami, Cassandre calls the Lakou Cafe menu a work in progress but is intentional about infusing it with aspects of her Haitian culture. Alongside sandwiches, salads and soups, you’ll find smoothies and crepes with spicy Haitian peanut butter, for example, and buttery, flaky patties. On event nights they offer bannann peze (fried plantains) and boulèt (Haitian meatball) sliders.

“It’s about just being who I am and incorporating that into whatever ventures I create,” says Cassandre. “I don’t like when Black businesses feel like they have to be something else, or cater to somebody else, or hide anything Black.”

Try the jerk jackfruit crepe stuffed with spicy marinated jackfruit and spinach, the “Cozy Salad” of kale, eggless Caesar dressing, roasted curry chickpeas, pickled onion and croutons (we topped ours with Kreyol marinated chicken), and the creamy golden latte spiced with turmeric and ginger.