Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Southern Cross Coffee has closed on 5th Street


[Photo by EVG reader Sheila Meyer]

You may have noticed the for-rent sign that recently arrived in the front window of Southern Cross Coffee at 300 E. Fifth St. near Second Avenue.

Obviously not a good sign... and after service on Monday, the Australian-Argentinian coffee shop closed ... the owners left a note of thanks for patrons...



No word on why Southern Cross Coffee, named in honor of the Southern Cross constellation, decided to close.

As noted before, this is a coffee-rich zone with numerous nearby choices, including (but not limited to!) the Coffee Project on Fifth Street just off the Avenue... the new 787 Coffee on Second Avenue at Sixth Street, Cafe Mocha on Second Avenue and Seventh Street, the Bean on Second Avenue and Third Street, Kona Coffee and Company on Second Avenue between Third Street and Fourth Street, and Porto Rico Importing Co. on St. Mark's just east of Second Avenue ... and Spiritea opened in May a few storefronts away on the corner.

Southern Cross debuted in February 2017 in these newly renovated storefronts. Jamie the check-cashing guy previously worked from this space before the renovations.
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13 comments:

  1. AnonymousSeptember 25, 2019 at 8:34 AM

    Well this is a shame. I live on the block and this was my regular spot. Good coffee and pastries, and the people were SO nice. When people wax nostalgic about mom & pop businesses, this was one of them. There aren't many places left where the owner/staff knows the customer's name and order as soon as you walk in the door. Really going to miss them.

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  2. BagelGuySeptember 25, 2019 at 9:22 AM

    Sorry to see these guys go. 2nd Ave has been taking a beating the past 2 years. It's classic domino effect. When one or two places go down, it effects all the businesses around them. Support amazon only if your'e sending money to help protect the rainforests. Otherwise spend a couple of extra coins and support local businesses.

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  3. AnonymousSeptember 25, 2019 at 10:17 AM

    I'm just not getting who decides it's a great business model to open a coffee or pizza place when there's already 7 within a two block radius

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  4. AnonymousSeptember 25, 2019 at 10:19 AM

    This was a tough spot for a small cafe....a little off the beaten path.

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  5. BagelGuySeptember 25, 2019 at 11:21 AM

    Very simple answer as to why you see so many cafe's and pizza places in NYC. 1) The mark up on coffee and tea is almost as high as the mark up on alcohol. 2) Low payroll costs. You can run these businesses with 4 or 5 employees easy. Labor is the number one expense a business faces. 3) Low food cost. Food cost in a by the slice joint is extremely low. Cafes get their food and pastries sent in which cuts out labor and prep costs. The problem, as mentioned , is that we have a glut of these spots in the EV. The other thing is, everyone thinks running a cafe or pizza joint is easy. It isn't. Once the excitement and shine wear off, people begin to realize it's a grind. It's a day in day out slugfest. That's why usually people go down at the 2 year mark.

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  6. AnonymousSeptember 25, 2019 at 12:40 PM

    Southern Cross was a community gathering place, friendly, accommodating and with good drink and food options. There are certainly other options for coffee nearby, but nothing that replaces the warm and welcoming atmosphere we experienced at SC.

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  7. AnonymousSeptember 25, 2019 at 1:33 PM

    Good place, weird name.

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    1. AnonymousSeptember 25, 2019 at 3:18 PM

      It was named for the Southern Cross stars visible from Argentina and Australia, home countries of the two owners. This was part of what made the place more interesting than most area coffee shops: different food and beverage choices.

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  8. AnonymousSeptember 25, 2019 at 2:32 PM

    The location is what killed them. If they were on second avenue right around the corner(which actually has an open storefront) they would of had a chance. I liked their coffee and food and overall vibe.

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  9. Eden BeeSeptember 25, 2019 at 2:54 PM

    Yeah I wish they had been on the corner spot instead of down the block. Price difference must have been very extreme.

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    1. AnonymousSeptember 25, 2019 at 5:27 PM

      I had heard there was some hope in the beginning that they’d pick up foot traffic from the cops, but that never happened. Even then, it probably wouldn’t have made a difference. The Coffee Project is a few steps away and has always used social media and professional PR to bring in customers. Just being a good place for people and food is not enough to sustain an EV business these days.

      Delete
  10. BagelGuySeptember 25, 2019 at 3:46 PM

    If they were in either of those spots their rent would have been 10x higher. It’s tough for everyone right now. Especially on 2 ave.

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  11. Carol from East 5th StreetSeptember 27, 2019 at 9:17 PM

    So sad that they didn't make it. They were such a wonderful addition to the block and the staff was so nice. Great pastries too.

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