Brooklyn Navy Yard Welcomes Four New Local Businesses to its Yard Opportunity Shop Retail Incubator

The Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation (BNYDC) announced today the third rotation of small businesses at its Yard Opportunity Shop (YOS) storefront. The YOS x Made in NYC Bodega will turn the retail space into a celebration of New York City's food and beverage entrepreneurs, welcoming four small businesses – all members of Made in NYC – offering innovative, locally made snacks and sweets.

Hosted in Building 92 of the Brooklyn Navy Yard, the three-month YOS rotations give small, minority-and-women-owned businesses (MWBEs) the opportunity to promote their products, test new concepts and directly engage with the Brooklyn community. YOS is part of BNYDC's growing pipeline of initiatives supporting local MWBE retail entrepreneurs, joining programs like the Microbusiness Support Program and the Wallabout Wonderland Holiday Market. Together, these programs offer connected opportunities for businesses to launch, grow, and thrive by building skills, increasing visibility and generating sales.

Subscribe

"New York's food scene is one of the most dynamic in the world, driven by entrepreneurs who are constantly reimagining what a product, a menu or a business can be. We want the Navy Yard to be a place where that kind of innovation has room to grow," said Lindsay Greene, president and CEO of the BNYDC. "Partnering with Made in NYC allows us to connect with the makers who are already shaping the city's food culture, giving them a home to share their visions with even more New Yorkers. We're proud to open our doors to this community and give Brooklyn a taste of what they're building."

The YOS model has already hosted health-focused bakery Monshe and lifestyle marketplace Open Market, both of which had strong runs at the storefront and helped build momentum for the program. Now entering its third session, the YOS x Made in NYC Bodega will bring Doosra, Gracie Baked, Live Loud Foods and Oso Cacao together under one roof.

"For so many small, cultural businesses, gaining placement on a shelf is extremely challenging in a grocery shelf of sameness," said Kartik Das, founder of Doosra. "The YOS gives us a chance to introduce new customers to our products and show retailers that differentiated, cultural products belong on everyday shelves. Now we can celebrate the varied flavors that make New York so diverse."

"Having a small business in NYC is so hard and it feels like a never-ending grind. To have a home with three other small businesses working together and collaborating at the Brooklyn Navy Yard feels like such a breath of fresh air," said Gracie Bensimon, founder of Gracie Baked. "To cosplay having a storefront is so fun. It gives us the opportunity to interact with customers, see what they gravitate towards, experiment with new products and so much more!"

"For Live Loud Foods, the Yard Opportunity Shop is more than a place to sell our products; it's a place to highlight and collaborate with other NYC creatives and showcase the incredible diversity of food and products being made right here in New York City," said Keesha O'Galdez , CEO and founder of Live Loud Foods. "We're excited to be part of a space that brings these makers and their stories together and gives people an opportunity to discover something new."

"As a first generation Mexican-American, I celebrate and highlight my culture and traditions through specialty chocolates inspired by Mexico and my childhood," said Rigoberto Flores, founder of Oso Cacao. "The Yard Opportunity Shop is helping me expand my reach to more chocolate lovers, tell my story to a larger audience, and grow as an entrepreneur. Alongside other talented and creative NYC makers, I hope to inspire, create opportunities, and help pave an easier path for other small and minority-owned businesses, which is pretty amazing!"

The collaboration draws on Made in NYC's network of hundreds of manufacturers, makers and creators producing goods across New York City. In turn, the partnership gives YOS a new way to spotlight the entrepreneurs behind the city's growing local-manufacturing economy.

"Made in NYC is thrilled to partner with Brooklyn Navy Yard to bring the Made in NYC Bodega to the Yard Opportunity Shop," said Kayla Shifter, program manager at Made in NYC. "There's so much creativity and talent coming out of NYC's food and beverage community, and this is a great opportunity to put some of these incredible businesses directly in front of new customers. The Bodega can be a place where people can discover great products, meet the makers behind them and get a little taste of the food culture that makes each of NYC's five boroughs so unique."

Together, the businesses bring distinct cultural influences and culinary perspectives to the Bodega. Queens-based Doosra offers a modern take on traditional Indian snacks, blending familiar flavors with unexpected sweetness; Long Island City-based Gracie Baked puts a nostalgic, over-the-top spin on childhood favorites with stuffed cookie bars and layered cakes; Bronx-based Live Loud Foods puts a global spin on snacking with small-batch gourmet candied nuts inspired by flavors from around the world; and Oso Cacao draws on Mexican family tradition to create handcrafted, bean-to-bar chocolates.

The YOS x Made in NYC Bodega officially opened September 10 and will be featured in Building 92 through November 21. The store will be open to the public from Wednesday – Saturday from 11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.