“You have to get them to taste it. Once they taste it we’re in.”
That was believed to be the key strategy to the success of Lloyd’s Carrot Cake, according to the late owner and founder Lloyd Adams. For over 30 years, the quaint but very well-known bakery has supplied the most delicious baked goods made from scratch, to numerous patrons and businesses in the tri-state area and beyond.
Initially starting with a recipe given to him by his mother. Lloyd toyed around with the ingredients in his Harlem apartment; tweaking the recipe to his liking. After much trial and error, he created a finished product that promised success, and in 1986, he saved up enough money to open a small storefront in the quiet Riverdale section of the Bronx.
Since then, Lloyd’s has become a New York staple, serving arguably THE BEST carrot cake ever made, in addition to a series of other delicious cakes, pies, and muffins.
After Lloyd’s passing in 2007, his wife Betty Campbell-Adams continued to strengthen his legacy, and didn’t miss a beat. The small bakery’s fame and notoriety grew to new heights; But in December of 2020, the Lloyd’s family took a devastating blow with Betty’s sudden passing.
Now, Lloyd and Betty’s children, Lilka and Brandon, are at the helm to keep the legacy moving forward, pouring the love their parents poured throughout the years.
Along with the help of the tremendous and hardworking staff, Lloyd’s is positioned to continually achieve its mission of providing delicious happiness one bite at a time.
I’ve always had the social-science view that I could change the world. To walk into a restaurant where a customer is eating a slice of cake and hear, ‘Wow, who made this carrot cake?’ that’s what turns me on
-Lloyd Adams, The New Yorker 1987