LONG ISLAND CITY, NY.- This fall, MoMA PS1 will open Symone, a new café by acclaimed chef and culinary tastemaker DeVonn Francis. Inspired by French-African cuisine and guided by seasonal ingredients, Symone marks Francis’s first restaurant and will offer a daytime dining experience that brings together food, art, and creative communities. In advance of the café opening in early October, Francis will offer a preview of select menu items from Symone at Printed Matter’s NY Art Book Fair from September 24 to 27, 2026. With free admission to MoMA PS1 for all visitors, Symone will be fully accessible during museum hours, welcoming visitors and neighbors to gather, dine, and connect.
Rooted in French-African cuisine with nods to coastal flavors, Symone draws on Francis’s culinary heritage and traditions, including his Jamaican and Caribbean roots. The menu will feature elevated comfort foods with an emphasis on seasonality, including fresh seafood, bright salads, healthy sandwiches, and hearty soups. Highlights include curry chicken salad sandwiches, patties, soft serve, cod and rice porridge, with a seasonal rotation of pastries and La Cabra coffee. Designed by architectural studio Marsollier Villacorta, the space will reanimate historic details of the PS1 building with warm natural materials and offer al fresco dining on the museum’s terrace, reflecting Francis’s unique approach to creative hospitality. Symone nods to MoMA PS1's evolution from a school into an art museum while remaining rooted in the surrounding neighborhood, with a menu crafted to appeal to locals and first-time guests alike.
“I believe that the extension of food in a museum fortifies it as a cultural center, giving visitors a reason to return again and again,” said Francis. “Symone is named for my cherished niece, a reference to our relationship, and to the dynamics that come with familiarity, with getting to know a place over time.”
“We are thrilled to welcome DeVonn Francis back to MoMA PS1 and to partner with him on the opening of Symone this fall,” said Connie Butler, The Agnes Gund Director, MoMA PS1. “As a distinguished chef and talented creative, Francis weaves together food and storytelling in a way that has established him as a singular voice in the culinary world. I’m thrilled that our audiences, neighbors, and staff will be able to gather at Symone for a memorable meal, a cup of coffee, and a new point of connection.”
DeVonn Francis is the founder of Yardy World (est. 2017), a culinary studio that specializes in creating immersive food experiences and reimagining Caribbean cuisine. Francis’s meals bring together guests across fashion, art, music, and dining scenes, and he has partnered with brands such as Gucci, Converse, and Burberry. A frequent contributor to and on-screen talent for Bon Appétit, he has collaborated with celebrities including Selena Gomez, William Goldman, and Christopher John Rogers. Francis studied at The Cooper Union and worked at restaurants including Estela and Altro Paradiso. This May, he served as executive chef for MoMA PS1’s 50th Anniversary Gala.
