Bed-Stuy's CakeBoi Bakery Rebuilds After Destructive Break-In

BEDFORD-STUYVESANT, BROOKLYN — CakeBoi bakery is down but not out.

The Bed-Stuy based bakery closed after a March 1 burglary — actually more of a ransacking — that left the Throop Avenue shop without cooking equipment, refrigerators and anything else need to bake, according to Instagram and police.

"I have made the decision to close immediately while I look for another location," wrote owner Khayri Ayers on Instagram. "I know that birthdays and celebrations do not stop and neither will I. This is just a minor setback for a major comeback."

Ayers started a GoFundMe called "Please Help Me Rebuild CakeBoi Shop" to raise $100,000 to rebuild his shop at a "new bigger location."

CakeBoi sat near Throop Avenue and Decatur Street. The shop, described by Ayers on GoFundMe as the "essence" of the neighborhood that raised him, offered colorful and elaborately decorated cakes and other confections.

Ayers, who couldn't immediately be reached for comment, wrote he fell in love with baking in his grandmother's kitchen as a 12-year-old. There was no other place to build his bakery than the neighborhood that raised him, cultivated his love of community and represents rich black culture, he wrote.

"I knew it had to be in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Bed Stuy," he wrote.

But Ayers wrote the break-in represented a setback, if only a temporary one.

A burglary or burglar forced their way into the 627 Throop Ave. storefront and removed at least $33,000 worth of items, NYPD said. Those included a large quantity of cooking equipment, three refrigerators, two sinks and a freezer, police said. They also took about $3,000 in cash, authorities said.

NYPD detectives are still investigating the break-in, authorities said.

Ayers broke down the costs on the GoFundMe of moving to a bigger location and buying new cooking and storage. It has so far raised about $900 toward his $100,000 goal, as of Monday afternoon.

"When I say they took everything, I meant the shop was left stripped and empty," he wrote. "My tools for cake decorating are gone, cake pans, fridges, freezers, supplies, my whole business.

"I very quickly decided to move to a new bigger location, because I believe this minor setback is preparing me for a MAJOR COMEBACK."

More information can be found on GoFundMe and CakeBoi's Instagram.