Halsey Stop residents rejoice! For where there was none, now there is one. A cafe has arrived, and it is adorable. Lorena Moscoso opened El Cafecito three months ago, after leaving her job as a chocolatier in Manhattan with the dream of owning her own business. After finding the space off the Halsey stop in Bushwick, where she’s lived for the better part of a decade, her vision of the cafe became tangible.
Moscosco has never barista-ed, but that didn’t stop her. In fact, very little seems likely to stop her. She left the chocolate business in March, had found a completely unfinished space by April, and within a month, had opened the doors of El Cafecito. Her father is a carpenter, and the two of them spent 24 hours a day, seven days a week, turning 892 Wyckoff into a dream come true.
Not only do they offer the standard selection of caffeinated beverages made from Brooklyn Roasting Co. beans, they will also press some juice for you. The day I stopped in, certain factors had conspired to make me extremely thirsty, and I splurged on a LARGE orange juice. For five dollars, they pressed six (!) whole oranges into a cup for me, curing what otherwise might’ve been a rather debilitating hangover. Need a place to take that Sunday morning edge off? El Cafecito is your answer. Quiet, cozy, spacious, full of delightfully friendly ladies who have access to a multitude of fruits. Or if you need a place to kick a Monday into gear, stop by and slam a Red Eye before getting on the train for work.
The El Cafecito ladies and their bread wares.
The little cafe is actually quite large, with about a half dozen bigtables, comfy chairs where you can sit and take advantage of their free WiFi, large front windows where you can gaze upon the bustle of Wyckoff while contemplating your next move. They are currently selling croissants, scones, and brioche from Balthazar, delivered fresh daily. They’ll undoubtably be adding more menu items and further amenities as time goes on, but for now, Lorena is taking it easy. After the insanity of getting an entire cafe up and running in a month, she is ready to take her time moving forward.
El Cafecito is located at 892 Wyckoff Ave, and they are open 7 AM to 7 PM on weekdays, and 9 AM to 5 PM on Saturdays and Sundays.