Renata Husted +Joey Puleio: Daytime
Windsor Terrace & Williamsburg, Brooklyn
One of the reasons we started Busboy was to chat more with the people that made all of our dining experiences so damn good. The next natural question posed here - who makes their experience working those dining services equally as good? Crossing paths with people whose talent and company you genuinely enjoy is one of the few joys that working can give us. When Joey Puleio opened Daytime's flagship location in Windsor Terrace, Renata Husted was among the first of only a few employees. After some time as a barista, she left to hone her baking skills at other cafes. Eventually ~fate~ kicked in and she returned to Daytime as their head baker, introducing the team to their new Williamsburg location in the process. Renata's pastries are DIVINE-we beelined for the perfectly saturated citrus cakes and buns. Complimenting these sweet delights is Joey's coffee and food program, which continues to top itself at every iteration of cafe we've seen Joey manage, and now own. Scroll for more backstory on these two, and a lot of macro shots of pastries and cappuccino foam. Happy Monday ;)
Full name, age, where are you from?
Joey: Joey Puleio, 33 years old from Long Island, New York.
Renata: Renata Husted, 27 Albuquerque, NM.
Was food a big part of your upbringing?
Joey: Growing up my Mom handled all the meals. She also owned her own business and worked full time so on convenience was a priority. My grandfather was a butcher who immigrated from Italy, so growing up my mom was surrounded by food and we grew up on his classic Italian staples. Food was the center piece for every holiday or special occasion and I genuinely feel that around the dinner table is where I've spent some of the most memorable times with my family.
Renata: Food was totally a big part of my upbringing. Meals in our home were definitely a hodgepodge of cuisines. There were lots of involved Mexican dinners separated with recipes straight from the back of a Campbell’s soup can or Kikkoman spice pack- I loved them all.
What are your earliest memories of dining out?
Joey: Every Wednesday night, growing up, my dad was off of work and my mom worked late so he would take my sister and I to the diner. I would always order the same thing: 2 eggs over easy and french fries. The ketchup from my fries would end up mixing with the broken yokes and I will never forget those bites of food.
Renata: My earliest memories of dining out mostly involve munching on papadums at the Indian restaurants I would always choose for my birthday dinners. The white tablecloths and free chutneys made me feel extra special.
If you could give a piece of advice to someone who wanted to pursue your career, what would it be?
Joey: My biggest piece of advice is don't open your own place if you don't want to be part of the team.
Renata: To never lose your sense of humor!
What do you think working in this industry has taught you?
Joey: This industry has taught me to be light on my feet and ready for anything. Every relationship is meaningful and most importantly listening and hearing your team should be priority number one.
Renata: I’ve learned that the saying “when one door closes another one opens” is absolutely true and that bumps in the road are inevitable but if you stay honest to your character and work hard you’ll find yourself in the environment you need to succeed.
What's your favorite dish/drink on the menu?
Joey: Our egg and cheese sandwiches on our house made brioche buns will always be my #1 but right now I'm loving our carrot salad. It's a side salad but it's so simple and delicious. Shaved carrot, spiced and toasted pumpkin seeds, lemon, olive oil and parsley.
Renata: Probably the Sweet Orange Poppyseed Buns or the Lemon Turmeric Bundt Cake- you can’t go wrong with citrus.
What is your favorite place to go out and eat at and what are you ordering?
Joey: I recently moved from Brooklyn to Rego Park, Queens right on border of Forest Hills and right now my favorite place to eat is a great Chinese restaurant called Spy C Cuisine on Austin Street in Forest Hills and I am ordering the twice cooked fish.
Renata: Lately my go-to is a Vietnamese place near my apartment where I’m very into the veggie banh mi with extra jalapeños.
You’re on a desert island, what are the 5 kitchen items you need to run your business?
Joey: Not kitchen items but any 5 people on the Daytime team!
Renata: Assuming the island is equipped with an oven, I’d take my French rolling pin, a kitchen scale, a jumbo muffin tin, one sharp serrated knife, and the Kitchenaid mixer I glued googly eyes to. The last one doubles as company.
