The Bergen
Photos courtesy of The Bergen
In early April, Ty Brown sat in the backseat as his wife rushed him in their car to the hospital. The owner of The Bergen had been battling coronavirus symptoms at home for eight days before the illness took a turn.
“I’m like, ‘What if this is the last drive?’” he says. “I’m enjoying the air from the windows because I haven’t been outside in a while. I’m looking at trees a little differently. And I’m thinking: ‘You’ve already done so much. Maybe this is the legacy.’”
Yet a month later, after his hospital stay and quarantining with Mom’s home remedies, Ty tested COVID-free. “God wasn’t finished with me yet.”
The Brooklyn native had just opened The Bergen, his Crown Heights takeout spot serving fresh and flavorful seafood, burgers and wings, on January 15. He considers it an extension of his other role as founder and executive director of the Brooklyn United Music & Arts Program, a youth organization that develops leadership skills through academic support and marching band performance. Ty, 42, has run the nonprofit for 16 years, creating performance opportunities from Brooklyn Nets games and local festivals to Norway’s Independence Day Parade and GAP commercials.
“A lot of times my kids will come to me after school, and they’re pretty hungry,” Ty says. “Parents don’t necessarily send snacks, and the kids don’t leave us ‘til around 7 o’clock after practice.” When he noticed that a nearby takeout spot, Git-It-N’-Git, had closed down, he jumped to rent out the space.
“I grew up believing that people who do business in our community should automatically be a hub of giving back.”
The Bergen had been open for just a couple of months by mid-March, and business was straight-up booming from the 700-square-foot space. “We’d done a soft launch for friends and family before opening to the public so we could test our systems,” Ty says of the three-day preview. “And 500 people signed up.”
That intense training paid off, with the kitchen cranking out well seasoned seafood and burgers, and business growing week over week. Then New York City went on lockdown.
The Bergen didn’t take a severe hit, continuing operations through their takeout window next to a beloved mural of Sean Price. But Ty still wanted to make a major adjustment — they started serving free meals right away.
Initially providing bagged lunches for students no longer receiving free school lunch, the program soon expanded to dinners (baked chicken and rice, grilled vegetables and pastas) with entire households in mind. With more than 3,000 free meals served so far, the effort is now fueled entirely by donations, though funds have started to wane. (If you’d like to support, donations can be made via Cash App to $bu2018 and Venmo to $thebergenbk.)
“I grew up believing that people who do business in our community should automatically be a hub of giving back,” Ty says. “I’m just doing what any business owner should be doing.
“It’s a small space, so I wanted to create a very simple menu,” Ty says of The Bergen’s offerings. “And I wanted to be the best at that particular thing.”
Ty did his research and nailed flavor, preparation and presentation. The takeout spot focuses on four core areas: 1.) fried and steamed seafood, 2.) burgers and sandwiches, 3.) wings and 4.) salads.
Popular dishes include crunchy fried shrimp and whiting; wings (which come in nine different flavors, from spicy honey garlic, to parmesan lemon pepper, to jerk BBQ); steamed crab legs; and the Bergen Burger, perfectly crafted down to its buttered and grilled brioche bun. We also enjoy their tasty seasoned fries, available in sweet potato and truffle varieties. And for dessert, thick slices of the renowned red velvet cake from Doc’s Cake Shop are on tap.
The Bergen’s food may be simple, but their high quality and careful attention to detail really make it stand out.
1299 Bergen Street, 347-240-7046, theberbgenbk.com
