[EVG photo from yesterday]
B&H Dairy, the classic small lunch counter at 125 Second Ave., remains closed after the deadly explosion on March 26 killed two men and brought down three buildings several storefronts away.
Word came via Facebook that B&H would reopen by yesterday here between St. Mark's Place and East Seventh Street. That didn't happen. However, an employee told Eater yesterday that the 73-year-old kosher dairy restaurant was getting its gas hooked up again … and hoped to be up and running soon. (Hopefully in time for Saturday.)
However, the expenses have piled up these past two weeks. Now, the East Village Community Coalition, Fourth Arts Block and miLES are helping B&H owner Fawzy Abdelwahad launch a crowdfunding to "keep alive its tremendous history in the East Village."
You can find more details about the campaign here. Investments range from $5 (you get a big thank you on Facebook) to $150 (10 percent B&H discount for the year).
[Undated photo via Smallknot]
2 comments:
I lived at 129 Second Avenue in the 90s. I used to eat at B & H, and Paul's, and Pomme Frite. I'm confused by a few things. Are these businesses so fragile that they can't survive a 2 week interruption? Why is Pomme Frite crowd sourcing to reopen? They had no insurance? That business had to be a goldmine? They were selling fried potatoes out of a closet. I love that the block had barely changed in the last 17 years, but I don't get why everyone's business is so tenuous.
Breaking news: the rent is too damn high. With so many long time successful businesses closing down at a record pace it's pretty obvious why these businesses affected by the fire also need our help. The rent is too damn high and any business disruption puts them deeper in the hole. Couple this disaster with the week-long blackout of Sandy a two years ago that also bankrupted businesses, plus the bitter cold winter that kept people at home, and you can see why even Pomme Frites is in need of help.
The problem for Pomme Frites is everything they had was destroyed and start up costs are so high now for any business that when you have to start over again you need a lot of capital. And insurance is a scam, it will never cover everything, people are still waiting for their insurance payments from Sandy.
A Greek diner owner told me it's too expensive to open a coffee shop in NY these days. What used to cost $100-$250k today would be close to a million dollars. Pomme Frites won't need as much as a diner but faces paying higher rent, and they already said this will force them to go further east in the Village. They also said they wanted a bigger space with more seating, which they clearly need since the lines were long.
Disasters like this show is why we need to join #SaveNYC.
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