BEDFORD-STUYVESANT — A new family-owned Bed-Stuy diner specializing in breakfast and lunch is the 2,000th business to open using the city's business acceleration program.
Emeline's, at 373 Lewis Ave., is a sit-down diner offering up dishes like coconut french toast and crab cakes.
It's also seeped in family history, showcasing photos of the owner's relatives along the restaurant's walls.
The diner celebrated its soft opening on Thursday with a ribbon cutting, touting the city's business acceleration services which the de Blasio administration said helped Emeline's open 80 days faster than it would have without the city's help.
"Small businesses like Emeline's drive our neighborhood economies across the city, and it is our responsibility to provide them with the resources and support to get off the ground quicker," read a statement from Mayor Bill de Blasio.
The program, created in 2010 under the Bloomberg administration, provides counseling for small business owners and helps food and drink businesses that seat 50 or fewer guests to navigate city agencies and regulations, according to the city.
Linda DeJesus, who co-owns the eatery — named after her grandmother — with other members of her family, credits the city's small business program with bringing her family's dream to fruition.
"Thanks to the assistance of the Department of Small Business Services, we were able to create Emeline's historical significance in Brooklyn," DeJesus said.
Emeline was born in Weeksville, Brooklyn, in 1899, she said.
