Landlord Evicts Popular Brazilian Hangout, Cafe Tucum, From Bed Stuy Building

On a walk by the usually popular and lively Cafe Tucum in Bed Stuy on Friday morning, we were sad to see a marshal’s notice posted to the door and a completely empty interior.

The phone line for the cafe has been disconnected, and we didn’t have any luck trying to reach the landlord of the building at 210 Patchen Avenue (on the corner of Macon Street). A rep at the marshal’s office said the cafe’s eviction took place on October 17 and the landlord is now in possession of the space.

Landlord Macon LLC bought the mixed-use building for $695,000 in 2013. In court documents, lawyers for Macon LLC allege the owner of the cafe, Sid Matos Castelo-Branco, owes more than $75,000 in rent and has not paid the full monthly rent since signing a lease in 2019. The monthly rent for 2022 was $4,299, according to the lease.

There’s a second sign posted to the door, saying Cafe Tucum is permanently closed and the ground floor space is available for rent. Prior to the cafe, the initially ambitious grocery store Bed Stuy Fresh and Local took up residence in the space. After sitting empty for a couple of years after the grocery store’s closure, neighbors welcomed the cafe to the block with open arms when it opened in 2020.

Over the past two years, Cafe Tucum had become a popular neighborhood haunt for working during the day and relaxing in the evenings with its Brazilian-inspired cafe fare, ambient music and range of plants, art and handmade Central and South American wares (which could all be purchased off the walls). The cafe also held movie and chess nights for kids, and markets and performances for local artists and makers to show off their talents.

Owner Castelo-Branco, who is listed on the marshal’s notice, had been a vocal advocate for outdoor dining in Bed Stuy and had recently been applying for a liquor license for the venue. So far, he hadn’t given an update on the cafe’s status on any of its social media accounts.

[Photos by Anna Bradley-Smith]

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