Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Hetal Convenience Store has apparently closed on First Avenue


The Hetal Convenience Store on First Avenue just south of East Seventh Street has been closed of late. Earlier this week, EV resident Bill the libertarian anarchist noticed the gate slightly open. He looked inside and saw that workers had cleared out the storefront. (Another reader said that she spotted workers standing in a now-empty space last night.)

The store, which, among other things, featured an array of Polish-language magazines, has been around since at least the early 1980s. Has anyone heard why the store may have closed?

DNAinfo included owner Gary Patel in an August 2010 feature about the city's new bike lanes:

Other merchants that rely on taxi traffic said that despite the negative impact on business, the city is safer overall with the new bike lanes.

"I don't have any problems. The city is better," said Patel, owner of the Hetal Convenience Store on First Avenue near East Seventh Street, noting he's fine with the fact that he has lost about 10 cabdriver patrons a day due to the new lanes.
at

4 comments:

  1. AnonymousDecember 19, 2012 at 6:05 AM

    Do you know anything about flea market cafe and if they are reopening?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Laura Goggin PhotographyDecember 19, 2012 at 1:19 PM

    I used to get my lotto tickets here. They were always friendly in there - I hope they come back, but I know that's wishful thinking.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Uncle WaltieDecember 19, 2012 at 1:48 PM

    "Do you know anything about flea market cafe and if they are reopening?"
    I ran into Gilles Ray (the owner) a couple of weeks ago and he told me that he had to go to prison in a couple of days, for his knuckle- headed attempt at arson. He gave me a hug and said that I'd probably not ever see him again, because after he would get released he'd be deported back to France.

    (Didn't I post this earlier?)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Dr GeckoDecember 29, 2012 at 1:42 AM

    They're renovating - there's a sign in the window for Verizon (or somebody; I don' remember) to ask "Mr David" in the Polish place (almost) next door for information. The person I've always thought of as "David," without the title, said that they'll be opening up again with a new person running it but the same sort of store. He thinks they were run down and are just sprucing it up a bit.

    ReplyDelete

Your remarks and lively debates are welcome, whether supportive or critical of the views herein. Your articulate, well-informed remarks that are relevant to an article are welcome.

However, commentary that is intended to "flame" or attack, that contains violence, racist comments and potential libel will not be published. Facts are helpful.

If you'd like to make personal attacks and libelous claims against people and businesses, then you may do so on your own social media accounts. Also, comments predicting when a new business will close ("I give it six weeks") will not be approved.