Bed-Stuy Raises $55K To Keep Coffee Shop From Closing Down
BED-STUY, BROOKLYN — The neighborhood has rallied around a Bed-Stuy coffee shop that had been left in danger of closing its doors for good by the coronavirus pandemic.
A fundraiser set up last week by Playground Coffee Shop on Bedford Avenue surpassed its $30,000 goal in just a few days, raising more than $55,000 to stay open amid the financial strain of the pandemic.
The GoFundMe, first reported by BK Reader, was set up to prevent the business from closing given the recent omicron wave, which limited its ability to serve customers.
"To every single person who cared about keeping Playground open, we send you this first thanks, but we hold many many gestures that will show you how much you mean to us," the business wrote on Instagram after reaching its goal. "...Thank you thank you thank you."
Playground had been running on to-go coffee, merchandise sales and limited hours at its book store given the recent spike in coronavirus cases, which meant shutting down its indoor seating and activities, according to the fundraiser.
The cafe had only just started preparing to bring back indoor seating after a two-year hiatus at the end of 2021, they said.
"...We could not put the people we intend to serve at risk of illness and possibly death, regardless of vaccination status or retained immunity," Playground wrote. "This reality leaves us at a stalemate for the long winter ahead."
The money raised in the GoFundMe will help Playground — which has not received any financial assistance throughout the coronavirus crisis — keep up with costs for utilities, rent, payroll, maintenance and nonprofit initiatives, they said.
Playground was founded in 2016 by Zenat Begum, whose family owned a hardware store at the Bedford Avenue spot for 20 years.
It has grown to include a bookstore known as the Playground Annex and a nonprofit arm, Playground Youth, which helps with programming for the community.
"We promise to keep being us, to keep finding ways to help and bring people together safely while these pandemic realities persist on," Playground wrote on Instagram. "...We love you all."
This article originally appeared on the Bed-Stuy Patch
