A beloved local café that has been a staple in Fort Greene for nearly 30 years is now on the brink of shutting down.  

For 28 years, the Brooklyn Moon Café has been bringing coffee drinkers the relaxing sounds of jazz in Fort Greene, as it’s evolved into a gathering space for people to enjoy coffee and live music.  

“I wanted to bring something to Fort Greene because there was no place for people to meet,” said owner Michael Thompson. “I figured that getting poetry in here would have a way to bring people in… it’s the poetry that made the place really big.” 

What started as a café bar, eventually grew into a full restaurant, serving Caribbean and southern soul food.  

“The need for more funds, you have to give more offerings,” said Thompson. “When we first started it was just coffee and cake and muffins… then I started doing sandwiches or soups.” 

They’ve brought in a long list of famous guests, from Spike Lee to Chris Rock and Mos Def, but three years after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Thompson says his business is struggling to keep its doors open. He says he didn’t qualify for pandemic relief funding and has had to turn to GoFundMe to try and raise the $200,000 needed to keep his business afloat.