Kingston Tropical Bakery sits under the train tracks at the corner of White Plains Road and East 226th Street in the Bronx. A sidewalk-facing case filled with golden Jamaican-style beef patties lures customers inside, where shelves are loaded with fresh breads, buns, and other Caribbean treats.
But this is more than a bakery. After fifty years in business, Kingston is a neighborhood institution and gathering place for the local Jamaican community. Manager Caroline Sinclair grew up in Jamaica and worked in banking before a career change brought her to the Bronx thirty years ago; today she oversees operations with a sharp eye on quality.