About Us

“The ingenuity behind success is a very coveted human ideal. It is an ideal rooted in personal values, passion, and an extraordinary ability to achieve greatness and innovation.” Highfalutin words from a long-gone philosopher. Right? Wrong! It’s a business foundational statement from Robert Gordon a hugely successful Jamaica-born immigrant businessman and entrepreneur, par excellence. So, exactly who is Robert “Bobby” Gordon? If you’ve heard about the popular Jamaican/Caribbean restaurant and bar called Footprints Café with three locations in Brooklyn, New York City, then chances are you’ve seen Bobby (everyone calls him that) working or chatting with patrons or staff. He is the President, Founder and CEO of this establishment and it was his vision and drive that has made this 18-yearl old restaurant and bar the household name that it now is, at least in the dynamic and growing Caribbean American community in New York. “I was born and raised in Jamaica and came to the United States in 1989. I took the traditional immigrant’s route of hard work, dedication, applying myself, and keeping a sharp lookout for opportunities,” Bobby, a handsome late 40ish man says. He is a proud alumnus of Calabar High School, one of Jamaica’s premier all-boys schools. Here in New York City he initially enrolled in college, only to eventually pursue a career in mechanics at the Apex Technical School. He would later go on to become a car dealer, a business he successfully ran for 10 years. “I found my true passion in the food and hospitality industry when I decided to open Footprints Café in 2001. For me, New York is the United States “Food Mecca” with New York City as its epicenter. Its patrons and constituents are demanding, and the failure rate is very high. I knew all that but I also believed that done right, and with hard work, the rewards would be great. I was not wrong,” Bobby says. The original flagship enterprise, where this food and drink experience and innovation started, is 5814 Clarendon Road, in Brooklyn, New York. Footprints II, known for its classic design and unique vibe, is also located in Brooklyn near the historical landmark—Coney Island Amusement Park/Boardwalk area. And the immensely popular Footprints Café Express, the 5-Star take-out, eat-in establishment, is situated in the heart of the Flatbush/East Flatbush section of Brooklyn at 1377 Flatbush Avenue. It seems that there’s no stopping the man. A business success bug has bitten him – too many times. Bobby is never one to rest on his laurels. He’s looking to the future and there are a “few things” in the works – big things, like a new upscale takeout “coming soon” and a banqueting hall. “I always want to improve on our products and our services. Footprints Café is about a dining experience – a fine dining experience. Not just any experience. So no matter which location you visit our goal is to have consistent food quality, great customer service, and a welcoming atmosphere – warm, professional and friendly. And definitely Caribbean,” Bobby explained.

He’s worked in the hospitality business literally all his life. It’s the man’s passion and we can tell you that he knows this business – inside out. You can call him the consummate hospitality professional. In the process of this life-long passion – don’t tell him it’s a restaurant job – he’s worked for a list of popular restaurants in the Caribbean (in St. Lucia) and New York City finally settling at the popular Footprints Café - Brooklyn’s Caribbean Kitchen and home of the world famous Rasta Pasta. His name’s Linden Clarke and he was born in Guyana. For the past 8 years he’s been the Regional General Manager for all three Footprints Café locations – Footprints Café (Clarendon), Footprints Café Express, and Footprints Café & Lounge (Coney Island). Needless to say Linden is focused, results oriented, and an expert in all the areas and skills that define a great hospitality and restaurant manager. “Throughout my career I’ve worked with many restaurants in the hospitality industry. I’m at home with restaurant start-ups as well as established ones – large or small or in-between. I’ve directed restaurant operations and I always manage to consistently increase sales through promotions, and marketing activities while controlling costs and maintaining quality. So no matter if its about volume catering, recruiting and training managers, supervisors and line staff, I’m your guy,” Linden says. Always smiling and blessed with a charming and engaging personality, Linden can be Maître D, restaurant host, front manager or troubleshooter, as the situation demands. His ultimate goal is always to make sure that every customer has a great experience at the restaurants and that his staff delivers 5-star service to every patron – all the time. Under this direction and leadership Caribbean Food in Brooklyn is now extremely popular. Hands on, but not demonstrably so, Linden pays keen attention to everything that’s happening at Footprints Café. It’s the hallmark of an experienced manager when the staff feels very comfortable with him or her but understands that they must deliver constant quality services and food – very time.