About Us
Our Story
Welcome to Footprints Café, Inc! Brooklyn’s Kitchen and Home of the Rasta Pasta!
In 2001, Robert “Bobby” Gordon opened Footprints Café, Inc.’s the first flagship restaurant presently located at 5814 Clarendon Road in the Canarsie section of Brooklyn. Robert, an immigrant pioneering businessman and entrepreneurial genius, who was born in the Caribbean Island of Jamaica, set out to serve the Brooklyn community and the New York City Metro Area with great-tasting, authentic, and popular Jamaican/Caribbean dishes like jerk chicken, curry goat, and oxtail, alongside the restaurant’s world-famous signature dish - Rasta Pasta.
Footprints Café Inc. is the official home of Rasta Pasta and proud owners of the Rasta Pasta Trademark and brand. Any unauthorized and unlicensed use is prohibited.
Over its twenty two (22) years history, FOOTPRINTS CAFÉ, Inc. has been featured in local newspapers like New York Carib News, Caribbean Life News and Caribbean Times News. The restaurant has also been featured on local Cable News stations like Brooklyn News 12 and recently America’s Best Restaurants.
The success of Footprints Cafe Clarendon led Robert to open a sister restaurant in the Coney Island neighborhood of Brooklyn in 2006, which is located at 1521 Surf Avenue - just a stone's throw away from the world-famous Coney Island Amusement Park, Boardwalk and the MCU Park. With a delectable mix of international and Caribbean cuisine, exotic drinks, and great entertainment. This restaurant brings a taste of the Caribbean to Coney Island's diverse and fast-growing community. Footprints Café Coney Island brings the CARIBBEAN RIGHT ON YOUR PLATE!
Footprints Café’s take-out facility, Footprints Cafe Express, opened right in the heart of the Caribbean immigrant community in the Flatbush/East Flatbush area of Brooklyn in 2013. It now rivals all local restaurants in the neighborhood with its very diverse and comprehensive menu, as well as its 5-star quality take-out food. It is also the off-site (and on-site) catering hub for the restaurant.
Footprints Nostrand was later opened in 2021, right in the heart of Bed-Stuy, an iconic area in Brooklyn and known for its Caribbean flare over the years. Footprints Nostrand boasts a delectable menu of its own, with "Caribbean comfort foods" such as Flatbreads, gourmet sandwiches, burgers and hand-crafted fries.
The two newest Cloud Kitchens opened in 2022, which are located at Utica Avenue & Skillman Avenue. These locations allow for an easy way to enjoy most of Footprints menu items exclusively via Uber Eats, our third-party delivery service partner. Utica Ave, located in East Flatbush, and Skillman Ave, located in Long Island City, Queens, are two locations where you can satisfy your Footprints cravings right from the comfort of your own home! Both locations offer our famous Rasta Pasta, Flatbreads and more.
Today, Footprints Café, New York City’s premier Caribbean restaurant, is renowned for its excellent Caribbean cuisine that is complemented by modern international influences. So, drop by any of our locations and EXPERIENCE THE FOOTPRINTS CAFÉ hospitality and high-quality cuisine at affordable prices! We are looking forward to serving you at – 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 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.
FootPrints Café’s Former General Manager
Linden Clarke
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.
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.