Lakou Cafe
Lakou Cafe is a privately held Haitian-American fusion cafe in Brooklyn's Crown Heights/Weeksville neighborhood, serving vegan-friendly plates, coffee, cocktails, and catering to local community members and enterprise clients while hosting cultural events.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersBrooklyn, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Lakou Cafe does
Lakou Cafe is a privately held, founder-owned Haitian-American fusion cafe operating a single location at 195 Utica Avenue in the Crown Heights/Weeksville neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. Founded by Cassandre Davilmar in May 2018, the cafe serves approximately half of its menu in vegan-friendly formats, including signature Haitian fusion plates, sandwiches, salads, bagels and bowls, baked goods, sides, smoothies and juices, coffee and tea, and a newly launched program of Haitian-inspired craft cocktails such as Cremas Noir and Rose Kayenn. The concept is built around the Haitian cultural notion of a 'lakou' as a community gathering space, and the venue functions as a neighborhood hub hosting open mics, karaoke, poetry readings, art exhibitions, book clubs, and Haitian cultural celebrations such as Fet Gede.
Revenue is generated through two streams: in-store food and beverage retail (dine-in, takeout, and limited delivery via a third-party ordering platform) and a corporate and private catering business. Named catering clients include Goldman Sachs, MoMA, NYU, Peloton, Weeksville Heritage Center, and Haiti Cultural Exchange. The cafe markets primarily through organic social channels (Instagram, TikTok, Facebook), an email newsletter, a blog featuring artist profiles and community stories, on-site event programming, and earned media from features in outlets including The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Forbes, Bon Appetit, NPR, Time Out New York, USA Today, Self Magazine, and PIX11.
The operating model is bootstrapped with no disclosed institutional venture or private equity backing; capital support to date consists of a Kiva microloan received through the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program. The technology stack is non-proprietary, relying on standard restaurant POS and third-party online ordering, and there are no AI/ML components. The cafe temporarily closed in October 2024 for renovations after structural damage was discovered, and continues to operate as a single-unit, community-rooted hospitality concept with a small team of approximately 8 employees.
Lakou Cafe firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Lakou Cafe
- Legal name
- Lakou Cafe
- Website
- https://lakoucafe.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Lakou Cafe is a privately held Haitian-American fusion cafe in Brooklyn's Crown Heights/Weeksville neighborhood, serving vegan-friendly plates, coffee, cocktails, and catering to local community members and enterprise clients while hosting cultural events.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Lakou Cafe industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Haitian-American Fusion Cafe
- NAICS
- Full-Service Restaurants (722511), Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars (722515), Limited-Service Restaurants (722513), Caterers (722320)
- SIC
- Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Retail-Eating Places (5812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Independent Neighborhood Cafes (THAFADAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Health-Focused Cafes (Organic/Vegan/Wellness) (THAFADAL), Ethnic & Regional Cuisine Restaurants (THAFACAD)
Keywords
Where Lakou Cafe is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Brooklyn
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Lakou Cafe business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Food and Beverage Retail (Dine-in/Takeout): In-store sales of Haitian fusion cuisine including plates, sandwiches, salads, bagels, baked goods, coffee, tea, smoothies, juices, and cocktails for dine-in and takeout customers.
- Catering Services: Corporate and private event catering services including corporate lunches, team meetings, production teams, and cultural events. Past clients include Goldman Sachs, MOMA, NYU, Weeksville Heritage Center, Peloton, and Haiti Cultural Exchange.
Go-to-market motion4 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
Lakou Cafe product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Lakou Cafe is a single-location Haitian-American fusion cafe in Brooklyn's Crown Heights/Weeksville neighborhood that serves a vegan-friendly Caribbean-inspired menu including plates, sandwiches, salads, bagels, bowls, baked goods, sides, cocktails, smoothies, juices, and coffee and tea. In addition to in-store dining, takeout, and delivery, the cafe provides off-premise catering for corporate and private events and operates as a community gathering space hosting recurring cultural programming such as open mics, poetry readings, art exhibitions, and Haitian cultural celebrations.
Product overview
Lakou Cafe is a Haitian-American fusion restaurant and cafe offering a unified dining experience centered on Caribbean-inspired cuisine. The core offering consists of signature Haitian fusion plates, sandwiches, salads, bagels and bowls, baked goods, sides, cocktails, smoothies, juices, and coffee and tea. Approximately half of the food menu items are vegan-friendly. The restaurant also provides catering services for corporate and private events. The venue hosts regular community events including open mics, karaoke nights, game nights, movie screenings, and art exhibitions.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Haitian Fusion Plates Signature Haitian fusion entrees including Haitian Braised Veggie Plate, Deluxe Vegan Plate, Vegan Boulette Plate (Impossible Meat), Fried Chicken Plate, Seared Herb Salmon Filet Plate, and Kreyol Shrimp Plate, served with rice and choice of sides. Aimed at dine-in and takeout customers seeking authentic Haitian-American fusion meals.
- Sandwiches & Soup House-made sandwiches including Lakou Salmon Burger, Ultimate Avocado Toast (vegan option), Kreyol Chicken Sandwich, Jerk Jack Sandwich (vegan), Fried Mushroom Sandwich (vegan), Fried Chicken Sandwich, and Haitian Soup Joumou (vegan, gluten-free). Targeted at dine-in and takeout customers seeking quick, casual Haitian-fusion meals.
- Salads Kreyol Caesar Salad with choice of protein toppings, designed for dine-in and takeout customers seeking lighter Haitian-fusion options.
- Bagels & Bowls Egg & Fromage bagel sandwiches, Cream Cheese and Butter Bagels, and Plantain Porridge (vegan Haitian-style), offered to dine-in and takeout customers seeking breakfast and lighter meal options.
- Baked Goods Savory puff pastries, sweet bread, Haitian cashew brittle, and chocolate chip cookies (with vegan options available), sold over the counter to dine-in and takeout customers.
- Sides Accompaniments including eggs, toast, avocado, turkey bacon, plantain chips, smoked salmon, fried plantain, sauteed kale, and rice with bean sauce (Sos Pwa), sold to dine-in and takeout customers to complement main dishes.
- Cocktails Signature Haitian-inspired cocktails including Cremas Noir (aged rum, espresso, Cremas), Rose Kayenn (hibiscus ginger), Fatiman's Reve, Erzulie's Sangria, Haitian Tigress, Couronne Spritz, Zoranj Zouzou, Barbancourt Flight, and Clairin Flight, served to dine-in customers of legal drinking age.
- Smoothies & Juices Fresh smoothies including The Lakou Delight, Power Punch, Strawberry Shake, Green Goddess, and Crown Heights Classic, plus fresh drinks such as Mint Matcha Limeade, Ginger Pineapple Juice, Hibiscus Ginger Limeade, and Oregano Oil Cold Buster, served to dine-in and takeout customers.
- Coffee & Tea Espresso-based beverages (espresso, americano, cortado, cappuccino, latte, mocha latte), drip coffee, cafe au lait, iced coffee, cold brew, Haitian spiced cocoa, chai latte, turmeric latte, matcha latte, plus loose-leaf teas (Assam, chamomile mint, gunpowder, vanilla rooibos, yerba mate) and iced tea, served to dine-in and takeout customers.
- Catering Services Caribbean food catering for corporate events, team meetings, private events, production teams, and craft services, offering both vegan and non-vegan options. Past clients include Goldman Sachs, MoMA, NYU, Weeksville Heritage Center, Peloton, and Haiti Cultural Exchange.
- Lakou Cafe Gift Cards Stored-value gift cards redeemable at Lakou Cafe, sold online through the GiftUp platform and available to consumers and corporate buyers.
Companies that use Lakou Cafe
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Lakou Cafe technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Lakou Cafe partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Goldman SachscoreCorporate catering client. Lakou Cafe provides catering services for Goldman Sachs corporate events and team functions.
- MoMA (Museum of Modern Art)coreMuseum catering client. Lakou Cafe provides food services for MoMA events and functions.
- NYUcoreUniversity catering client. Lakou Cafe provides catering services for NYU events and functions.
- Weeksville Heritage CentercoreCultural partner in the Weeksville neighborhood. Shared mission of celebrating and preserving Black/Haitian heritage in the community.
- PelotonminorCorporate catering client for team events and functions.
- Haiti Cultural ExchangecoreCultural organization promoting Haitian heritage. Partnership focuses on cultural exchange and community programming around Haitian traditions.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Lakou Cafe competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Café Rue Dix: Café Rue Dix is a Senegalese restaurant in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn offering West African cuisine. It is comparable as an independent, community-rooted ethnic restaurant in Brooklyn serving diaspora cuisine to local residents.
- Devoción: Devoción is a Brooklyn-based specialty coffee roaster and café operating locations in the NYC area. It is comparable as an independent Brooklyn coffee/cafe concept with strong brand identity and a focus on specialty beverages.
- Fritaille: Fritaille is a Brooklyn-based Haitian restaurant serving traditional Haitian cuisine. It is the most directly comparable peer because it shares Haitian culinary focus, Brooklyn operating geography, and independent community-restaurant positioning.
- Beyond Sushi: Beyond Sushi is a NYC vegan/plant-based restaurant chain with multiple locations. It is comparable as a plant-forward NYC restaurant brand targeting health-conscious diners, similar to Lakou's vegan-friendly menu positioning.
- Partners Coffee: Partners Coffee is a Brooklyn specialty coffee roaster with multiple café locations. It is comparable as an independent Brooklyn specialty café brand with an emphasis on coffee, light food, and a distinctive neighborhood-focused identity.
- Teranga: Teranga is a NYC fast-casual concept serving African-inspired bowls, salads, and smoothies with a vegetarian-focused menu. It is comparable as a NYC-based ethnic cuisine operator with a health-conscious/plant-forward menu mix similar to Lakou's vegan-friendly positioning.
Broad incumbents
- Joe & The Juice: Joe & The Juice is a global café chain offering coffee, smoothies, juices, and light food with locations in NYC. It is comparable as a broader café/juice-bar incumbent competing for the same specialty-coffee and grab-and-go customer segment in Brooklyn.
- Blue Bottle Coffee: Blue Bottle Coffee is a large specialty coffee company with cafés across major US cities. It is comparable as a broader specialty coffee player that competes for the same third-place café customers in NYC, though at far greater scale and capital intensity.
- Le Pain Quotidien: Le Pain Quotidien is an established bakery-café chain with locations in NYC and globally. It is comparable as a broader bakery-café incumbent offering coffee, light meals, and grab-and-go options in the same Brooklyn neighborhood-competition set.
- By Chloe: By Chloe is a plant-based fast-casual concept founded in NYC that scaled to multiple US locations. It is comparable as a broader vegan/plant-based restaurant brand that has demonstrated the market for vegan-friendly concepts in NYC and beyond, though at significantly larger scale than Lakou.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Lakou Cafe social profiles
Digital presenceLakou Cafe financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Lakou Cafe leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Lakou Cafe funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Lakou Cafe M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Lakou Cafe
What does Lakou Cafe do?
Lakou Cafe is a single-location Haitian-American fusion cafe in Brooklyn's Crown Heights/Weeksville neighborhood that serves a vegan-friendly Caribbean-inspired menu including plates, sandwiches, salads, bagels, bowls, baked goods, sides, cocktails, smoothies, juices, and coffee and tea. In addition to in-store dining, takeout, and delivery, the cafe provides off-premise catering for corporate and private events and operates as a community gathering space hosting recurring cultural programming such as open mics, poetry readings, art exhibitions, and Haitian cultural celebrations.
Is Lakou Cafe a public or private company?
Lakou Cafe is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Lakou Cafe founded?
Lakou Cafe was founded in 2018. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Lakou Cafe based?
Lakou Cafe is headquartered in Brooklyn, United States, in the North America region.
How does Lakou Cafe make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Food and Beverage Retail (Dine-in/Takeout) is the primary driver. The others are catering Services.
Who are Lakou Cafe's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Café Rue Dix, Devoción, Fritaille, Beyond Sushi, Partners Coffee and Teranga. Broad incumbents are Joe & The Juice, Blue Bottle Coffee, Le Pain Quotidien and By Chloe.
Does Lakou Cafe have an API?
No public API is recorded for Lakou Cafe.
What industry is Lakou Cafe in?
Lakou Cafe's product category is Haitian-American Fusion Cafe. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFADAC, Independent Neighborhood Cafes, with a secondary code of THAFADAL, Health-Focused Cafes (Organic/Vegan/Wellness). Its NAICS code is 722511 and its SIC code is 5810.