Busy Bee Cafe Now Open for Coffee, Art and Zen

A new café has opened in Bed-Stuy at 1081 Fulton Street on the corner of Classon Avenue, Busy Bee Bagel Café.

The café’s name, Busy Bee, is not as much an invitation for the busy bodies of Bed-Stuy (the owners have worked hard to create an airy, Zen-like environment) as it is more a space where anyone can come to relax, relate… and release. 

“We wanted to make this a community café where everyone of all backgrounds and cultures can come together and sit on the same couch, talk about anything and have the feeling of home,” said Jullenne Cunningham, the café’s co-owner.

Cunningham with Georgy Simeon, the store’s other owner said they’re working on creating an atmosphere where artisans, poets and the creative minds of Bed-Stuy can gather to share ideas, projects and build a bridge between the different cultures as the neighborhood’s landscape quickly evolves.

"The biggest thing we wanted to do was focus on art, great food and atmosphere and turn it into a community café. Because I feel like this area is lacking a nice community café," Simeon said.

Customers are encouraged to share words of inspiration or personal art on designated areas of the cafe's walls. The owners will begin hosting poetry nights, art showings and book release parties later this month.

Cunningham boasted, Busy Bee carries top-of-the line bagels from a private bakery (whose name they would not divulge) and ten different flavored cream cheeses, including their house special, the honey almond cream cheese.

The store’s extensive menu offers a variety of breakfast options, as well as a number of healthy sandwiches, including veggie burgers, salmon salad sandwiches, wheat wraps, salads, and espresso coffees from the Uganda-based Crop to Cup.

“White iced coffee, that’s a banging seller, because it’s really good and no one is doing it yet,” said Cunningham. “Also, our spiced iced chai teas are heaven in a cup. It’s really hard to explain how good it is, but anyone that buys it is blown away.

“Our biggest thing is to try different things; we’re very spontaneous when it comes to food.”

And spontaneity and speed are almost second-nature to both Cunningham and Simeon, who met while working together as emergency medical services (EMS) agents seven years ago.

“That’s really where the ‘Busy Bee’ comes in, because we are both involved in so many projects, party planning, we’re still with EMS and we’re constantly moving,” said Simeon.

“But because of our involvement in the community, we’re very in-tuned when it comes to the public,” added Cunningham.

“We want the coffee shop to be universal, complimentary for the area, but at the same time, provide a comfortable space for the longtime residents to gain something new and different,” said Simeon said. “We want to tie different experiences and cultures together for everyone.”

Busy Bee is open Monday- Saturday, from 6:30 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. and Sunday, 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.