Meta Engineer's Viral Food Videos Save Struggling Brooklyn Bakery

Industry Pulse News Desk · 2026-08-24

A software engineer's social media project showcasing small eateries has generated millions of views and brought new customers to struggling New York City businesses.

A technology engineer's viral social media videos highlighting neighborhood eateries have driven a wave of new patrons to small businesses across New York City, helping prevent the closure of a struggling Brooklyn bakery.

Shuayb Qureshi, a 31-year-old software engineer at Meta, began producing short digital videos documenting his visits to small food establishments to connect with local residents after experiencing burnout, isolation, and workplace stress in the technology sector.

Utilizing wearable smart glasses to record unscripted conversations, Qureshi visits little-known dining spots across Brooklyn and Queens, ordering whatever dishes the owners recommend. In June, a video featuring Star Deli, a traditional Polish bakery on Nassau Street in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, garnered over one million views.

The sudden online exposure brought an immediate influx of customers to the storefront. Bakery owner Zbigniew Stankowski had previously stated that the business was only months away from permanent closure due to intense local market competition and declining foot traffic.

Qureshi selects featured restaurants based on direct messages from local residents identifying places in need of commercial support. The project began as a personal effort to navigate corporate fatigue and build social connections outside the tech industry.

The initiative comes as software engineers across the tech sector face rising rates of burnout, corporate restructuring, and industry layoffs, prompting some workers to seek community engagement outside their primary professions.