Welcome to the Morningside Cafe, please meet Crabman Mike!

 

For years, Friends of Morningside Park worked with NYC Parks to bring new life to the historic overlook at 113th Street. FMP advocated for a café at this remarkable location and helped initiate the RFP that ultimately brought a food concession back to Morningside Park for the first time in more than two decades. We could not have asked for a better partner than Michael “Crabman Mike” Summerville, a beloved Harlem food vendor known for his great food, warmth, and deep roots in the community. Awarded the concession in 2021, Mike carries forward his father’s legacy while creating a welcoming place where neighbors can come together over a terrific meal.

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Mike’s commitment went far beyond opening a café. He invested approximately $500,000 to transform the long-underused overlook, building a new all-electric café and kitchen, completely renovating the public bathrooms to make them modern and ADA-accessible, and restoring the rooftop terrace for outdoor seating with some of the park’s most beautiful views. Today, the Morningside Café has become what FMP always hoped it would be: a lively, friendly place to gather, eat, relax, and enjoy the park. We are delighted and proud to welcome Crabman Mike as part of the Morningside Park family.