Downtown Albany BID celebrates grand opening of Winding Brooks Cafe

Albany Mayor Gerald Jennings and the Winding Brooks Cafe and Catering, LCC held a ribbon cutting on January 19, to celebrate their grand opening at 36 Maiden Ln. According to Joe Brooks and Tim Burhnam, co-owners of Winding Brooks Cafe, the location of the business on Maiden Lane was a retail opportunity and important key in their business model. After extensive research of existing eateries and foot traffic in the neighborhood, they positioned the café with a menu focusing on a hot buffet lunch that rotates daily. The duo is determined to invest in downtown and open a few additional businesses on the historic street over the next few years. "We want to bring Maiden Lane back to its thriving significance in downtown," said Brooks. Burhnam, who has worked in the restaurant and catering industry for over 25 years, plans on catering to downtown residents as the community grows. "We are open to changing our hours to fit the needs of our customers and special events," said Burhnam, "Our aim is to create an atmosphere where our chefs know our customer's name - and vice versa." "For hundreds of years, Maiden Lane has supported business storefronts and has been a historical draw for the area," said Georgette Steffens, executive director, Downtown Albany Business Improvement District, "We are pleased that business owners are seeing its potential and relevance in Albany's renaissance." The name of the eatery is symbolic of change and pulls on the idea of a brook as a lively body of water, constantly in motion. "It's also my name of course, but I think it describes us nicely," said Brooks.