By Ivan Pereira
Bell Boulevard is known for its numerous restaurants and eateries, so when business owner Yoon Kim decided to open up a new cafe and bar in Queens, she said Bayside was the best place for her venue.
Kim said that she opened the JB & Y Gallery Cafe this month, to offer customers a new spot to relax and take a breather while exploring the bustling shops of the neighborhood.
“I want them to enjoy the environment,” she said. “After they have dinner they can come here for a few drinks.”
The cafe, at 213-05 Northern Blvd., serves coffee and tea during the afternoon hours and drinks during the night. Customers can choose from a wide variety of drinks including espressos, wines and cocktails.
The drinks are prepared by Kim’s staff including bartender Ju Hee, who the owner said has been bartending in the city for years.
“Whatever you ask for, she can make it,” Kim said.
The design of the cafe was made to give customers a soothing experience as they enjoy their beverages. Black and red lounge furniture fill up most of the space along with large oil paintings.
“I didn’t want that home office look, so I decided to do this,” she said.
Kim, a graduate of Queens College, has worked at numerous businesses and restaurants over the last 10 years. She managed her own restaurant in Manhattan prior to opening the cafe in Queens and for a year owned a hotel in Maine.
She said she wanted to open up the cafe because she wanted to try something new in the restaurant business that was not too large and was different from the other eateries in Queens.
“I thought maybe a bar would be OK,” she said.
Kim said she hopes her shop will attract customers from Bayside and be the neighborhood’s new hotspot.
“It’s a middle-class neighborhood and it’s the best place to have a new cafe,” she said.
Reach reporter Ivan Pereira by e-mail at ipereira@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-229-0300, Ext. 146.
