GE Brown Re-Opens in Bedford NY

Strolling through bucolic Bedford, appreciating autumn’s colors, area residents and visitors alike who crave a coffee drink, delicious sandwich and salad choices, or the perfect host/hostess gift, stop at the go-to spot in town — G.E. Brown.

The late summer re-opening was preceded by a five-month closing and, as owner Jennifer Vellano put it, “an overnight pivot to a different model of serving the town and keeping the store alive.” She and her husband James opened G.E. Brown in 2015, bringing with them catering and restaurant expertise. The store quickly became known for its inventive twists — a sensational chicken salad with raisins and nuts, their “Ham it Up” breakfast sandwich on a danish, and soul-satisfying soups like broccoli cheddar. When the pandemic hit the Vellanos “didn’t have the option to close down,” so took the creativity apparent in their food and brought it to the store’s concept.

G.E. Brown kept offering the quality of food they were known for, dropped their price points, and behind locked doors they and their staff kept people supplied with comfort food, their coffee fixes, and even hand sanitizer. “We stayed open to pay the rent but we quickly saw there was a real need for what we were selling,” Vellano says. In addition to people coming to pick up their food and drinks from outside tables, the couple delivered food to the elderly and other housebound customers.

The 2 for $22 dinners were the stars of G.E. Brown’s Instagram feed, where fried chicken would sell out almost as soon as the photos were put up, and dishes such as salmon, lasagna or vegetarian choices were always (I can attest) tasty. The freezer was stocked with soups, cocktail franks and chili, and kids were well taken care of with both regular and GF chicken tenders, PB&J sandwiches on whole wheat and yummy veggie choices. There were at-home school supplies, toilet paper and kickin’ hot sauce to sprinkle on anything and everything.

“Instagram, Facebook, and our daily email blasts were invaluable in communicating with our customers,” Vellano says. With phone orders being their means of taking orders, and only one phone line, she says the majority of customers were understanding and got used to setting an order time and planning ahead. As an influx of families moved up to Bedford and surrounding areas the shop’s Instagram followers more than doubled and the email contact list went from 400 to 4,000. “Our customers were great in sharing the news of what we were doing with surrounding communities.”

The store re-opened in mid-August and Vellano said it’s been great seeing (behind masks) college kids who are remote learning, moms and dads who are working from home, and their regulars. “Everyone was excited to go back to what had been normal prior to March.” Vellano credits her “great pod of employees who did a phenomenal job,” with keeping the store afloat. She also notes the couple’s young children learned valuable lessons about working in the retail/food space at this time. “We all saw that adaptability was extremely important.” Vellano says that G.E. Brown has always focused on good flavors with the best ingredients, and that through all this a term they’ve long used, “Food is love,” became particularly apt.

GE BROWN 652 Old Post Rd, Bedford, NY 10506