Alison Roman Is Opening a Brooklyn Heights Cafe and Grocery

First Bloom, a boutique grocery associated with Alison Roman, is set to become a permanent Brooklyn business in fall 2026. The shop will open in Brooklyn Heights at 144 Montague, a storefront previously occupied by Bentley’s Shoes. Job postings indicate the new location will be larger and more ambitious than the upstate setup, featuring a coffee program, a small cafe with prepared foods, and a retail floor centered on produce. The food is described as seasonal home cooking that is simple, unfussy, and focused on the best versions of basic dishes. Roman emphasizes serving real neighborhood customers rather than internet-driven gimmicks.

"“At long last, I no longer feel like I'm going to jinx anything if I tell you that come fall of this year, First Bloom will become a permanent resident of The Big Apple.” There were no further details about the shop, which first launched in the Catskills and was followed by a pop-up store last November on the Lower East Side. “I don't have more to share at the moment,” she added. “I think it's just a little premature.”"

"“This fall, we're opening a second location in Brooklyn Heights,” the postings promise. “It will be bigger and more ambitious than what we built upstate. There will be a nice coffee program, a small cafe with fabulous prepared foods, and a retail floor with spectacular produce.” Neighborhood chatter suggests First Bloom Brooklyn will be located at 144 Montague, a large storefront below street level previously home to Bentley's Shoes, which closed last summer after 43 years in business."

"The food is described as “seasonal home cooking that's better than the food you make at home. Nothing fussy or overcomplicated - the best versions of the simplest thing.” And while Roman is known for her big Instagram following, podcast, and YouTube cooking show, she seems to be discouraging virality: “Having something everyone comes in for is important, but should never be gimmicky. We're catering to a neighborhood of real people, not the internet.”"

Read at Curbed