This loan will provide the baking and kitchen equipment needed for pioneering baker Chad Robertson’s first-of-its kind mill and bakery in NYC.
At 184 N 8th Street in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, a 7,500-square-foot former warehouse is being transformed into a bakery unlike anything currently operating in New York, with Chad Robertson shaping the culinary vision as executive chef. Robertson has spent more than three decades at the forefront of artisanal bread production, helping define a generation of baking through his work as co-founder of Tartine Bakery in San Francisco and his longstanding commitment to naturally leavened bread, whole grains, and regional grain sourcing.
Designed around transparency, small-batch milling, and an immersive customer experience, the space will include a high-volume bakery, visible fermentation rooms, and a micromill producing fresh flour from regionally sourced grains. In a market often defined by tight quarters, limited output, and transactional retail, this project introduces a more expansive model, one that gives bread production the scale, visibility, and design it requires.
Grain will be sourced from a growing network of East Coast farmers, as well as from Cairnspring Mills, a fellow Steward borrower working to rebuild regional grain economies in the Pacific Northwest. Flour will be milled on site using a New American Stone Mill financed by Steward, allowing the full process, from whole kernel to finished loaf, to remain visible and connected.
The result is not simply a bakery, but a fully integrated food and community space built around bread. Daytime operations will center on craft baking, coffee, and retail, while the upper floor will host classes, gatherings, and evening service. With Chad Robertson bringing his expertise to the project as executive chef, the bakery brings supply chain integrity into the urban core of New York, creating a space where production, education, and community engagement are held together in one place.
The to-be-named bakery is positioned to set a new standard for what a bakery can be in New York: operationally sophisticated, experientially rich, and deeply connected to the land and people behind every loaf.
The Steward loan will fund the purchase and installation of specialized baking and kitchen equipment needed to bring 184 N 8th Street into operation. This equipment will support the bakery’s core model, including bread and pastry production, fresh flour milling, and coffee service.
The broader buildout is being funded through owner equity, while this loan helps complete the final operational layer of the project. Once open, the space will support multiple revenue streams, including bakery sales, evening service, classes, and events, helping establish a resilient business built around regional sourcing, visible production, and an experience-driven bakery model.
184 N 8th Street is a Williamsburg, Brooklyn–based artisan bakery and culinary hub focused on redefining the neighborhood bakery. It offers handcrafted breads, pastries, coffee, and light fare made primarily with locally sourced, organic, and regenerative ingredients. The space will also host culinary classes and community events, fostering education and connection. Committed to composting and waste reduction, 184 N 8th Street combines strong environmental values with experienced leadership to build a profitable, sustainable neighborhood food hub.
Throughout the term of this loan, 184 N 8th Street pledges to:
As 184 N 8th Street comes to life, it will prioritize practices that contribute to the local community while helping build a more regionalized supply chain centered on regenerative values.
Ecological Stewardship:
Social Stewardship:
Economic Stewardship:
This loan will be made to 184 N 8 LLC, a New York State limited liability company, which will operate a to-be-opened bakery in Brooklyn New York, which focuses on regional grain sourcing, fresh milling, and public-facing production.
This loan will be used to purchase equipment for the new bakery located at 184 N 8th Street, Brooklyn, NY, fund a 3-month interest reserve, and fund all the closing costs and fees associated with the transaction.
The total loan amount is $650,000.00 which will assist 184 N 8th Street in preparing the to-be-named bakery for opening in the Summer 2026. This is a secured loan with a primary lien on all kitchen equipment purchased with the loan proceeds. The loan is set at a 9% interest rate for the borrower, and a net interest rate of 8.5% APY for the lenders after accounting for a .5% servicing spread. Interest only payments will begin one month after origination for the first nine (9) months of the loan term, followed by principal and interest payments on a 10-year amortization schedule thereafter.
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