Bed-Stuy Chef Finds 'Diamond In The Rough' With New Burger Joint

BED-STUY, BROOKLYN — It was never Titus Mitchell's plan to open a restaurant in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic.

But when the owners of Kafe Louverture on Halsey Street offered for him to take over their Halsey Street storefront earlier this year — the realization of a years-long dream to own a restaurant in his neighborhood — he couldn't pass it up.

"When this opportunity presented itself I was like, 'Okay, I have to take my shot,'" Mitchell said. "Even during the midst of the pandemic, everything aligned perfectly. As they say, you can find diamonds in the rough, roses grow through concrete."

The result, called The Stuy Burgers, is an inventive hamburger restaurant aimed at filling the need for a burger joint in Bed-Stuy that officially opened at 392 Halsey St. on Friday.

And if the soft opening last week was any indication, Mitchell has indeed found a diamond in the rough.

"It was ridiculous — it was packed literally from 1 to 7 p.m.," he said. "We sold out."

Mitchell first started thinking about opening Stuy Burgers two years ago, when he and a friend were at a hamburger spot in Martha's Vineyard.

The 15-year Bed-Stuy resident had just graduated from the Institute of Culinary Education and had been catering while he considered whether to open a restaurant. His friend pointed out that maybe a burger joint was the way to go.

"The seed was planted," Mitchell said.

Not long after, the owners of Kafe Louverture, where Mitchell was a regular, told him they were planning to relocate down south. They officially moved in April of this year.

"A lightbulb went off," Mitchell said. "[I realized] this would be the perfect location."

Mitchell reached out to a friend who was interested in investing in the restaurant and eventually started a GoFundMe to help raise the rest of the cash. He said he was hesitant about asking for money, but was quickly encouraged by the neighborhood.

"Everybody I've mentioned it to was like, 'Yeah, we need this in the community,'" Mitchell said.

The Stuy Burgers menu includes 10 burger variations and a selection of fries, including sweet potato and truffle fries. For now, it is limited to takeout and delivery, but Mitchell said he plans to look into outdoor seating next year.