About Us
Footprints Cafe Inc. - Flatbush has been serving up the best Caribbean food in Brooklyn since 2001
Sharing and celebrating Caribbean culture
through cuisine
In 2001, Robert Gordon opened Footprints Cafe Inc. - Flatbush’s first and flagship restaurant located at 5814 Clarendon Road in the Canarsie neighborhood of Brooklyn. This entrepreneurial genius, who was born in the Caribbean island nation of Jamaica, sought to serve great-tasting, authentic Jamaican dishes like jerk chicken, curry goat, and oxtail alongside his now world-famous Rasta Pasta.
The success of Footprints Cafe Inc. - Flatbush led Robert to open a sister restaurant in Coney Island in 2006, which is now located at 1521 Surf Avenue, Brooklyn, just a stone's throw away from the world-famous Coney Island Amusement Park and Boardwalk. With delectable cuisine, exotic drinks, and great entertainment, it brings an upscale taste of the Caribbean to Coney Island's diverse and fast-growing community.
Footprints Cafe Inc. - Flatbush’s take-out facility, Footprints Cafe Inc. - Flatbush, opened right smack in the heart of the Caribbean immigrant community in the Flatbush Avenue area of Brooklyn in 2013. It now rivals all local restaurants with its diverse and comprehensive menu, as well as its five-star- quality take-out food.
Today, Footprints Cafe Inc. - Flatbush is renowned for its excellent cuisine, which is complemented by modern local and international influences. We are looking forward to serving you at Footprints Cafe Inc. - Flatbush – Brooklyn’s Caribbean Kitchen, Home of the Rasta Pasta!
Footprints Café’s President & CEO
Robert Gordon: Imagining The Future
“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 Mecca of food, its constituents are demanding, and the failure rate is 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 at the historical landmark—Coney Island Amusement Park/Boardwalk area. And the immensely popular Footprints Café Express, the take-out, eat-in establishment is situated in the heart of the 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. So the thing is that 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,” Bobby explained.
Linden Clarke
FootPrints Café’s Regional General Manager
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 Caribbean 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 seven 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 results oriented and an expert in all the areas and skills required to 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. 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.
“You have to lead by example. And since I know all of the ins and outs of the restaurant business I bring that experience to the Footprints Brand. “I start by acknowledging that ALL our staff members are important and vital to our ability to deliver quality food and services – all the time and every time. At
“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,” Bobby explained.
Footprints Café’s Executive Master Chef
Basil Jones, Food Maestro
He jokingly says, “I’m cooking too long.” That’s because he’s “been in the kitchen” professionally for 33 years now – and counting. But he started long before that, way back in Jamaica in his grandmother’s kitchen when he was just about 15 years old. So the next time you visit Footprints Café, Brooklyn’s premier Caribbean restaurant, and you browse through its extensive mouth-watering menu loaded with tons of exotic items to choose from, rest assured that this is the brainchild of Executive Master Chef, Basil Jones.
Chef Basil also worked with the cooking staff preparing and presenting special dishes for local cuisine competitions. He earned a certificate of merit for his cooking and culinary skills from Jamaica’s former Prime Minister Edward Seaga in 1983.
“I also got a scholarship to Hocking Technical College in Ohio for six weeks in the first instant and then for two years later. While there I cooked and served over 200 people at a 5-star private golf course, and worked with a mentor and master chef for 10 years cooking at some of the most expensive and exclusive hotels and golf courses in the world. Over my career I have cooked for groups of up to 4,000 people at a time, as well as small, selective and picky groups,” Chef Basil said.
Chef Basil joined the Footprints Café team in 2001. Today, he oversees all of the restaurant’s menu items, food quality and control, training of the restaurant’s cooking staff, restaurant and kitchen safety – he’s very big on that – portion control and periodic testing and creation of new menu items.
Great food, great times
Our Mission
To provide our guests with outstanding and memorable experiences by presenting exceptional cuisine and genuine hospitality.
Our Philosophy
For a great dining and cultural experience, we provide our team with every possible resource to succeed in providing the best service and take pride in working together.
Where to find us
Footprints Cafe
Footprints Cafe
5814 Clarendon Rd
Brooklyn, NY 11203
Flatbush Ave.
Footprints Cafe Express
1377 Flatbush Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11210
Surf Ave.
Footprints Cafe & Lounge
(Coney Island)
1521 Surf Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11224
We Cater!
Explore our catering menu and choose from a variety of mouthwatering and party-sized appetizers, rasta pasta, curried meats, and more!