A reader let us know that Delicacity (aka Robin Raj!) is closing for good very soon at 114 Third Ave. near East 14th Street. The reader, a regular here, reports that the landlord passed along a hefty rent hike.
In the meantime, you can enjoy 50 percent off most everything in the store...
Robin Raj and their cartoon food illustrations moved here from the corner in January 2009. Robin Raj turned into Delicacity in February 2012.
The address was formerly the Grace and Hope Mission.
Previously on EV Grieve:
More Robin Raj intel (and what about those cartoon hams?)
Oh no! Robin Raj is no longer Robin Raj!
Robin Raj finally makes the move, though there's no sign of the cartoon ham
Live above Robin Raj
I was talking to a man from Europe over the weekend who was visiting and he asked me if it was easy or difficult to open a new business in NY. I told him in Manhattan it will soon be nearly impossible for the first time in 300 years. Think about Queens.
ReplyDeleteOh noooooo. I remember when there was a deli on almost every corner around there. At the SE corner of 14th and 3rd, also at the corner of 13th and 3rd, the corner of 13th and 4th, across from the movie theater at 3rd and 11th, etc. etc. etc. Now there won't be any for many blocks. They are USEFUL, for chrissakes!!! This is a major quality of life blow.
ReplyDeleteThis is so discouraging to small business owners and entrepreneurs. No local business in NYC is safe without protection from predatory landlords. All I see now are empty store fronts and Duane Reades. What a shame.
ReplyDeleteEven though there are fewer delis, there is no shortage of delis. There's no question that there were more delis than were necessary.
ReplyDeleteIf there were more delis than necessary a lack of demand, not a rent hike, would have killed this business. Instead it's more of the same. Landlord greed.
ReplyDeleteI remember when the original Robin Raj location, on the SW corner of 14th and 3rd, was "Disco Donut." (Yeah, circa 1980—back in the day.)
ReplyDeleteI believe it was used as a location in Taxi Driver, as were other parts of that neighborhood, such as the Regina House.
Disco Donut was 24 hours and had the "World's Best Coffee."
Not to get too far off track, in the 80's every major corner in the city (where avenues met double traffic streets like 14th, 23rd, etc...) had a donut shop. Most of those place became nail salons in the late 90's.
ReplyDelete@Scuba Diva - and the world's best apple fritters and bear claws, if my memory serves me correctly. Not a drop of acai to be seen anywhere, or even conceived of in those halcyon days.
ReplyDeleteone of the partners in the regina hotel on 13th and 3rd, above hudsons sporting goods store, owned the building next door where taxi driver filmed that bloody shooting in the hallway. they certainly disrupted the tenants.
ReplyDeletethere was some fun during the filming when the decked out pimps and their girls hung out to see hollywood's version of them, and to try and give advice and/or be an extra.
Almost never mentioned in the commenting is the role of City taxes (especially property taxes) in cases such as this. I get the tendency to cite landlords but circumstances are often multifaceted, is all. Or maybe it's just not mentioned because our tax dollars are always used so wisely (ahem) and therefore there's no reason to offer this point into the conversation.
ReplyDeleteat the old RAJ-DISCO location upstairs was Carmelita's Reception House turned Nightclub..a real Spanish wedding lounge that got hip.
ReplyDelete