Shemaine Bushnell Kyriakides
New Yorkers are about to learn what Cypriots have known all along: there’s no problem in life that a bit of halloumi can’t fix.
A brand-new bakery called “Hello Halloumi” has officially opened in Manhattan’s West Village, and it’s already turning heads (and melting hearts) with the squeaky, salty cheese that put Cyprus on the foodie map.
The man behind it all is Constantino Papadakis, a Cypriot who left the island at 20 to chase dreams in New York. After years in private equity and restaurant management, he’s circled back to his roots, swapping balance sheets for baking trays and launching a first-of-its-kind halloumi bakery in the city that never sleeps.
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And this isn’t your average cheese shop. The menu is playful, creative, and proudly Cypriot: halloumi focaccia, bagel bites, sweet anari pastries, and other bite-sized goodies, all made with authentic halloumi imported straight from Cyprus. Everything’s priced by weight, so customers can mix, match, and snack their way through the menu, a true meze-style experience, New York edition.
Papadakis says the concept is all about “community, craft, and comfort,” three things Cypriots know a thing or two about. Judging by the crowds that have already gathered at the shop on 48 Greenwich Avenue, New Yorkers are more than ready to join the island’s cheese-loving cult.
For Cypriots abroad, “Hello Halloumi” feels like a little slice of home, a warm reminder that even in the concrete jungle, you can still find something that squeaks when you bite it.
And honestly, isn’t that what happiness sounds like?
