On a Thursday afternoon in February, an emergency medical responder bought enough cake from Lloyd’s Carrot Cake Bakery & Café to feed a nearby fire station. He wanted the best for a colleague’s farewell.
The call of the moist dough also drew friends from across the city and beyond. “Best carrot cake I’ve ever had,” said Castle Hill resident David Pérez, a sentiment shared by many. Nearby, visitors from Boston and Chicago dug in.
Brandon Adams, Lloyd’s co-owner, credits the bakery’s success to family, quality products and community. That ethos drove him and his sister, Lilka Adams, to open the new East Harlem branch at 1565 Lexington Ave. Staff say business has been brisk at the new location, which is the first of Lloyd’s locales to serve Costa Rican coffee and specialty teas. Others have been grab-and-go only. In East Harlem, people can now have their coffee and their carrot cake too…