Named for a grandmother who fed everyone

Why “Little Wayla”?

Wayla was the family nickname of our head baker’s grandmother, a tiny, unstoppable woman who kept a tin of cookies on the counter at all times and could not let anyone leave her kitchen without a slice of something warm wrapped in a napkin. Her house was the one where neighbors dropped by unannounced, kids did homework at the kitchen table, and the kettle was always on. When we started dreaming about a café, that was the feeling we wanted: not a fancy destination, but somewhere that feels like it has always been there for you.

From farmers markets to a corner shop

Little Wayla began as a weekend stall at a downtown farmers market, selling cinnamon buns and loaves of sourdough out of the back of a borrowed station wagon. The buns sold out every Saturday, people started asking where they could find us during the week, and eventually a small corner space with big windows came up for rent on the Lower East Side. We painted the walls in soft pastels, built a long communal table out of reclaimed wood, installed a proper deck oven, and opened the doors with three people behind the counter.

We have grown a little since then, but not too much. Our team is still small enough that everyone knows the regulars by name and by order, and we’d like to keep it that way.

What we care about

• Baking from scratch. No par-baked pastries, no frozen dough. If it’s in the case, it was made in our kitchen that day.
• Buying close to home. Eggs, milk, butter, apples, greens and flour come from farms and mills in New York State and the Northeast whenever possible.
• Treating our team well. Fair wages, predictable schedules and shared tips, because good hospitality starts behind the counter.
• Wasting less. Day-old pastries are discounted at closing or donated to a local food program; coffee grounds go to community gardens.
• Being a good neighbor. We host a monthly kids’ baking morning, a book swap shelf, and coffee for the volunteers at the community garden down the street.

Join the team

We are always happy to hear from friendly people who love coffee, baking or looking after guests. If that sounds like you, write to us at [email protected] and tell us a little about yourself.