B&H (aka B&H Dairy) is a beloved kosher lunch counter restaurant that’s been a neighborhood landmark since it opened in 1938. When they were forced to close as a result of the March 26, 2014 fire at Second Avenue and 7th Street, which took two lives, four buildings and half their block, I initiated a “Save B&H” letter-writing, media and crowdfunding campaign.
I worked with the New York Department of Small Business Services, secured multiple placements in local media, and raised nearly $30,000.00 in six weeks.
A long five months after closing, B&H triumphantly reopened on August 14 with a grand reopening party on August 21, the guest of honor for which (and which I arranged) was the daughter of the original owners and founders of B&H.
Save B&H media coverage included the evening news on NY1, ABC, Fox, NBC and two New York Times features. (A complete list of media hits is at the bottom of this page.)
I continue to manage marketing, media, social media, and design and production of all B&H T-shirts, menus, post cards and calendars.
ABOUT B&H Dairy
B&H Dairy is one of the oldest kosher dairy* lunch counters remaining in New York City. It was opened in 1938 by Abie Bergson and Jack Heller, who left not long after and new partner Sol Hausman (B&H) stepped in. The interior and menu has changed little since.
In 1970, Bergson & Hausman sold the restaurant, which since has had two subsequent owners before being purchased in 2003 by Fawzy Abdelwahed, who runs B&H with his wife Ola, who he met when she worked at The Stage Diner (now closed), across the street. (She cleaned his glasses one day, and that was it!)
Together they run the restaurant along with their very loyal staff, many of which have been with them for over 10 years. Leo has been at B&H for 28 years!
B&H is located across from the historic The Orpheum Theater (home to “STOMP”). Years ago, this part of Second Avenue was known as the Yiddish Broadway. In 2017 B&H Dairy was honored with a Village Award by the Greenwich Village Society for Historical Preservation.
Over the years, B&H has fed generations of East Villagers, from hippies, bohemians, NYU students to actors, including Shelly Winters, Paul Newman, Jackie Gleason, Jack Klugman, and more recently, Nicole Kidman and Helen Mirren.
Take as seat at the B&H counter during a busy lunch hour and experience not only lovingly made traditional Easter European comfort food–from matzo brei to blintzes, pierogis, cabbage rolls to great soups, and their own challah bread–but the NYC melting pot in full swirl, as, in just one order shouted behind the counter, one can hear Arabic, English, Spanish and Polish.
B&H is true living New York City history. As, Florence Goldberg (daughter of Abie Bergson) told the Vanishing New York blog, “The store was (and still is) more than a place to eat, it was a happy place where friends got together to trade stories about their workday and their families.”
SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGEMENT
Instagram
Facebook Page
Facebook Group
CROWDFUNDING CAMPAIGNS
2020: After 83 Years, B&H Dairy May Close, You Can Help
Ran a GoFundMe campaign to help B&H survive the Coronavirus pandemic. Raised $62,000+.
2015: Help B&H Reopen After 2nd Avenue Fire
Raised $28,395 (of $30,000 goal*) in six weeks. *Goal was originally $20K, but we reached it quickly and people still wanted to give, so we raised it to $30K, still less than what was needed, but enough to reopen! One mystery doner gave $7000 in one shot.
MERCHANDISE DESIGN
Back in Fall 2013, in an ongoing effort to preserve B&H in an era when so many mom & pops are closing, I designed a T-shirt for B&H to sell for additional income. Nearly 2000 have been sold since.
CALENDAR DESIGN
MENU DESIGN
POSTCARD
1968 photo on the front, photo of restaurant and owners + info on back.
PRESS
Most of the press here is from the aftermath of the tragic Second Avenue fire in March 2015, in which two people died when 3 apartment building collapsed after the explosion. Some more recent press is immediately below, from during the Coronavirus pandemic.
2020
A Talk of The Town column in the New Yorker in which longtime customer Chloe Sevigny talks about B&H, and her family and career.
2015
PRINT/WEB
AMNewYork | 4/10/15
AMNewYork | 7/28/15
AMNewYork | 8/13/15
AMNewYork | 9/8/15
Bedford & Bowery | 7/30/15
Bedford & Bowery | 8/14/15
Bowery Boogie | 6/29/15
Bowerie Boogie | 7/21/15
Curbed | 8/16/15
Daily News | 8/17/15
DNAinfo | 4/9/15 + 8/13/15
The Daily Meal 7/29/15
EaterNY | 4/8/15
EaterNY | 6/26/15
EaterNY | 8/3/15
E.V. Grieve | 4/9/15
E.V. Grieve | 5/4/15
E.V. Grieve | 5/13/15
E.V. Grieve | 7/3/15
E.V. Grieve | 8/2/15
E.V. Grieve | 8/14/15
E.V. Grieve | 8/18/15
Forward | 8/17/15
Gothamist | 7/17/15
Gothamist | 8/13/15
Gothamist | 8/14/15
Grub Street (NY Magazine) | 8/4/15
Grub Street (NY Magazine) | 8/14/15
JPUpdates | 4/13/15
New York Post | 8/14/15
New York Times | 7/10/15 | print version
New York Times | 8/14/15 | print version
NYDiningGuide | 8/13/15
Place Matters (City Lore and The Municipal Arts Society) | 7/13/15
Restaurant Girl | 8/20/15
Tablet Magazine | 7/8/15
The Lowdown | 6/29/15
The Real Deal | 8/15/15
The Villager | 7/16/15
The Villager | 8/20/14
Time Out NY | 8/13/15
Time Out NY | 8/18/15
Times of Israel | 4/12/15
Vanishing New York | 6/26/15
Vanishing New York | 8/13/15
Vanishing New York | 8/14/15
TV/VIDEO
ABC7 Eyewitness News | 8/14/15
CBS New York | 8/19/15
Fox 5 News | 8/14/15
NBC News 4 | 8/14/15
New York Live (NBC4)| 8/21/15
NY1 For You | 7/2/15
NY1 For You | 7/8/15
NY1 News | 8/13/15
NY1 News | 8/14/15
Popular Publicity 