Something new for 9 St. Mark's Place, but not St. Mark's Place

A new sign arrived in late February at 9 St. Mark's Place between Second Avenue and Third Avenue...



The upstairs space will soon be home to Nohohon Tea Room, a bubble tea shop with a location in Toronto.

Here's more about their product via their website:

Nohohon Tea Room offers a healthier alternative flavours for bubble tea enthusiasts! Keeping true to the owner roots our green teas are imported from Japan and are steeped to the every guests’ order. Nohohon Tea Room specializes for Matcha drinks, which are hand whisked to each order ensuring maximum freshness.

Our tea is white-sugar Free and uses no artificial powders or powdered milk in the drinks. Pure sugar cane and organic agave are used as a basic sweetener. We also offers an option of sugar-free sweetener and dairy alternatives, Almond milk and Soy milk to cater to your dietary needs. We are also able to offer Vegan and Gluten-Free bubble teas ...

According to Bedford + Bowery, who first reported on Nohohon's arrival, this will make the sixth business to sell bubble tea in this block of St. Mark's Place. (And probably not the last.)

This space was previously home to the Brooklyn Dark Hemp Bar, which closed after just three months last October when the city said the cafe needed four sinks — one for soaking dishes, two others for sanitizing and rinsing dishes, and one for hand washing.

We don't know how many sinks are inside now ... at least three...



Previously on EV Grieve:
First U.S. hemp bar is now open on St. Mark's Place

[Updated] City forces the country's 1st Hemp Bar to close on St. Mark's Place

[Updated] City forces the country's 1st Hemp Bar to close on St. Mark's Place

The Brooklyn Dark Hemp Bar — who bill themselves as the first Hemp Bar in the United States — opened at 9 St. Mark's Place between Second Avenue and Third Avenue on Aug. 15.

And it appears that the cafe, which sells pastries, coffee, tea, etc., has sold its last hemp-based product, at least for now.

The note on the front door explains…



Per the note via CEO Lev Kelman:

"Even after passing all health and sanitation guidelines, the Health Department is requiring us to install 2 additional sinks despite the lack of space."

As of now, Kelman is unsure whether he will be able to reopen the shop, he told us via a Facebook message. Meanwhile, you can still find their products in various stores in the city and online.

Updated 10/27

The Village Voice, who did not give us any credit, picked up on our story and spoke further with Kelman.

Before opening, Kelman had the site inspected to make sure it was up to health standards. There were two sinks left from the space's earlier incarnation as a cafe called I Am Coffee. One was used for hand washing, the other for rinsing utensils and plates.

But in early October, Kelman says, city health inspectors came in with new rules, which he was cited for violating: There needed to be at least four sinks: one for soaking dishes, two others for sanitizing and rinsing dishes, and for hand washing.

Kelman went to court to contest the violations, and instead was slapped with an $800 fine, on top of being forced to close his business...

Updated 10/28

Scott Beyer at Forbes, who gave us credit, has a follow-up story. Read that here.

Per a city spokesperson:

Brooklyn Dark Hemp, like every other restaurant in NYC, needs to wash its dishes and cookware properly. A three compartment sink enables washing, rinsing and sanitizing to occur separately, critical for preventing contamination. This restaurant, like others, can request a variance if it can assure the Department that sanitizing can occur safely.

The city also said that the side-by-side sinks each needs a separate drainage system.

"Kelman refused to comply with this demand, knowing that it would skyrocket his business costs while adding no decipherable public safety benefits. It would also be impractical – even impossible – in such a small store that produced very few dirty dishes."

Previously on EV Grieve:
First U.S. hemp bar is now open on St. Mark's Place

First U.S. hemp bar is now open on St. Mark's Place

The Brooklyn Dark Hemp Bar — who bill themselves the first Hemp Bar in the United States — is now open at 9 St. Mark's Place between Second Avenue and Third Avenue. (They officially opened last Saturday, and have been handing out samples this past week.)

As the sign shows, they sell pastries, coffee, tea, etc. … using hemp seeds as an ingredient.



They also sell their signature chocolate bars, which you may have seen at various stores and food fairs.

The Hemp Bar's hours are 8 a.m. to midnight Monday-Friday; 11 a.m. to midnight Saturday-Sunday. You can read more about Brooklyn Dark at their website.

The address was previously home to I Am Coffee, which seemed to be open one day a week.