An upside down glass cup rests on a Caribbean beer cork coaster. The music playing is a Soca tune, a genre of Caribbean music–also known as the sound of calypso–originating from Trinidad and Tobago, Shake Up You Bum Bum by Timaya.

Roosters Caribbean Tapas, a restaurant combining fusions of traditional islander dishes in South Slope, focuses on maintaining the quality of their food and customer experience in order to survive the neighborhood’s gentrification.

“South Slope is desolate because if you really look around there’s nothing. We’re waiting for gentrification to take place,” said employee Michael Von Hagen, 19-years-old.

Businesses either improve to accommodate the neighborhoods transition or close down and remain vacant for months or years. The neighborhood’s 5th Avenue stretch is updating and businesses are hopeful that South Slope becomes the new Park Slope, North of the not so subtle Prospect Avenue borderline.

Roosters was founded in January 2015, by Trinidadian storeowner Cris Achong. Achong wanted to share his food journey around the world through Roosters.

During their grand opening in January Roosters served free samplers from the menu to over 100 people, including Hip Hop artist Nicki Minaj’s mother Carol Miraj and her entourage, according to head manager Yeni Mata, 48-years-old.

Achong’s knack for cooking and passion for traveling resulted in him opening his own restaurant filled with his favorite dishes and personal style.

The 800 Sq. Ft. restaurant is located on 651 5th Avenue between 18th and 19th streets and can hold about forty-three customers at a time.

Roosters, the only of its kind amongst the neighborhoods handful of storefronts­–mostly Mexican and Italian restaurants–are boldly diversifying the community. Because Roosters is the only restaurant serving traditional Caribbean food there is no competition, adding exclusivity to the restaurant.

“A lot of individuals, when we first decided to open the restaurant said we should do Mexican or Italian, that’s what sells around here. I said food is food. People enjoy food regardless of the neighborhood,” said Mata.

Fresh businesses have a clear vision of the neighborhood’s future, comprising of much younger families and individuals moving in with higher incomes.

As stated by the 2007/09 American Community Surveys in district 7, where South Slope, Windsor Terrace and Sunset Park are located, about 100,013 of the population were between the ages of eighteen and sixty-four. Compared to the total population of 152,227 people.

Most of the locals are young professionals who come home in the evening after a workday. In order to best accommodate the neighborhood and restaurant Roosters is open six days a week from 3 p.m. until nighttime. “I’ve talked to other neighborhood businesses and they say 80% is from takeout,” said Mata, when referring to the restaurants income. The restaurant can be servicing the 80% of people ordering takeout who may be of older age and don’t have the means to physically walk to the restaurant, or the young professionals who come home in the evening after a long workday.

In order to maintain the restaurants Caribbean identity Achong has tried to include traditional islander qualities, giving the restaurant a resemblance of those from the tropics. Including long wooden benches featured in most Caribbean restaurants, allowing both locals and foreigners to sit together in a relaxed family setting.

The restaurant also serves Red Stripe, a beer brewed in Jamaica, and Shandy Carib, a carbonated soft drink to keep the authentic Caribbean restaurant theme going for Brooklyn locals.

The platters are fusions between traditional Dominican, Haitian, Trinidadian Tobagonian, Jamaican and other Caribbean cuisines. Customary to those countries and their large proportioned platters, Roosters serves nouvelle style– a modern style of cooking emphasizing the foods freshness and presentation–served in tapa style; a style of eating originating from Spain meant for appetizers or snacking a variety of foods in small portions.

The most popular dish is the Haitian black rice, at $9, and the Caribbean Experience, a dish giving you the option n picking three tapas from anywhere but the entrée’s at $23. The average cost of a menu item is about $11.

“It’s not just a Caribbean restaurant, where you throw food on a plate and go. We’ve got a little more flare,” said Mata.

 Roosters platters avoid heaps of food. They focus on the foods taste and quality. Mata describes the food as mouth bursting, and mentioned the neighborhood demographics impacting the restaurants choice of smaller serving sizes.

 Although Rooster’s serves customers of all ethnic backgrounds the number of Black or African American non-Latino’s is 53,939 compared to the district total population of 717,708.

While the neighborhood continues to gentrify both culturally and economically, 5th avenue storefronts are becoming more and more popular. Both the storeowner and managers are mindful of the new condominium opening down the street on 19th street and 4th avenue, holding 96 units, and aim to see an expansion in costumers and income.

“We picked a time where we saw what was going on here; a lot of renovations, a lot of projects. Things are happening,” said Mata.

The store is hopeful about the new upcoming renovation, projects and things happening in the neighborhood. If business thrives, they plan to open another location either in Williamsburg or Dumbo.