Errol’s Caribbean Delights, a longtime restaurant and bakery at Flatbush Avenue and Hawthorne Street in Brooklyn’s Little Caribbean, will close Oct. 24 as its owners retire after 25 years in business, according to Hoodline.
The closure marks the end of a neighborhood establishment known for Caribbean breads, pastries and traditional meals.
The business opened in 2001 as Errol’s Bakery and Catering, initially selling breads, buns and pastries before expanding its menu to include dishes such as oxtail, jerk chicken and curried goat. Its location in Flatbush placed it at the heart of a community shaped by generations of Caribbean immigrants and their descendants.
According to National Geographic, 20 percent of New York CIty's 8.8 million residents trace their roots to the Caribbean, with a significant concentration in Central Brooklyn.
Errol’s previously faced eviction in 2016 and 2017 but secured a new lease following community pressure, allowing it to remain open for nearly another decade. Its closure comes as commercial tenants continue to face uncertainty over lease renewals and rent increases.
The New York City Council held a hearing Sept. 16 on Council Member Gale Brewer’s Storefront Business Bill of Rights. The proposal would establish written lease requirements, require landlords to disclose information about commercial properties and allow certain tenants to extend leases for up to one year with rent increases capped at 10 percent. The measure remains in committee.
At the state level, Senate Bill S8319 and Assembly Bill A5568A would establish a commercial rent stabilization system in New York City, including a board to set rent guidelines. Both measures remain in committee.
As Errol’s prepares to close, its departure highlights the challenges of preserving Caribbean-owned businesses that contribute to Brooklyn’s cultural identity and neighborhood economy.
