From Food Cart to Fine Dining: How a Williamsburg Entrepreneur Built a Hospitality Empire

Maria Chen still remembers the day in 2019 when she wheeled her first food cart onto Bedford Avenue in Williamsburg with $8,000 in savings and a notebook full of family recipes. Seven years later, her operation has evolved into a portfolio of three distinct venues across Brooklyn and Manhattan, employing over 85 staff members and generating estimated annual revenues in the low eight figures.

Chen's flagship establishment, Ember & Oak, opened on North 6th Street in 2022 to immediate acclaim, earning a Michelin Bib Gourmand designation last year. The 65-seat restaurant specializes in wood-fired Asian fusion cuisine, with dinner entrées ranging from $28 to $42. Her second venture, a casual dim sum concept called Morning Station, launched in the Lower East Side in 2024 and has become a weekend destination, regularly drawing wait times exceeding 90 minutes.

Most recently, Chen expanded into the hotel hospitality space with the opening of Longitude, a 42-room boutique hotel adjacent to Ember & Oak. The project required $6.2 million in financing and represents a significant bet on Williamsburg's continued appeal to both tourists and business travelers. Room rates start at $189 per night.

"What's remarkable about Chen is her willingness to reinvest profits back into her community," said James Whitmore, director of the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce. "She's created a model that works within New York's economic constraints while maintaining quality standards."

The hospitality sector across New York City has shown steady recovery, with the Restaurant Association reporting that independent restaurants now represent 62 percent of the city's food establishments, up from 58 percent in 2023. Labor costs remain elevated, with experienced restaurant managers earning $65,000 to $85,000 annually, but Chen's operations have maintained staff retention rates above 78 percent—significantly higher than the industry average of 42 percent.

Chen attributes her success to operational discipline and a commitment to sourcing locally. Her restaurants source approximately 45 percent of ingredients from New York State suppliers, a requirement she imposes despite higher costs. She also implements a rare benefit structure in the industry: all full-time staff receive healthcare coverage, paid time off, and access to training programs.

As New York's hospitality sector navigates post-pandemic challenges and rising rents, entrepreneurs like Chen demonstrate that sustainable growth remains possible through focused execution and genuine investment in both product and people.

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