The suspension period is up for cigarette sales at Gem Spa.
And yesterday, the corner shop on Second Avenue and St. Mark's Place received their authorized certificate from the State to sell cigarettes and tobacco products again, a large source of revenue. (They lost their tobacco license back in the spring when a now-former employee sold cigarettes to an undercover minor.)
Now Parul Patel, who is running the store her father Ray has owned since 1986, is also hopeful to become a lottery retailer again. That license was revoked in the spring for an outstanding debt. According to Parul, she is working on an installment plan to pay off that amount in order to offer lottery sales (other big revenue source).
In an Instagram post earlier this week, she wrote:
Today marks the end of the suspension period for the cigarette and lotto licenses. While this is a wonderful milestone, we still have to go through the process of getting the licenses reinstated, pay off our debt and reach profitability.
Given the success of its branded T-shirts, Parul is adding to the shop's streetwear merchandising, as we previously reported.
We are going to be introducing a whole range of Gem Spa merchandise this week including long-sleeve tees, hoodies, beanies, tote bags and more as well as artwork, photography and books inspired by our store. Also we will be hosting a party in the next few weeks to help raise funds toward this end. It will be held at a hot downtown location and will be a fun-filled night of music, entertainment and of course egg creams!
Previously on EV Grieve:
• At the Gem Spa Cash Mob (Sept. 16)
• Gem Spa is now a 'Schitibank' (Sept. 12)
• Get your Gem Spa t-shirts or photos of Madonna — at Gem Spa! (Aug. 16)
• Will you buy a Gem Spa T-shirt? (June 28)
• "Gem Spa is open!" (June 18)
• What is happening at Gem Spa? (June 11)
• A visit to Gem Spa (May 10)
10 comments:
Great news!
The new merchandise sounds like a really good idea. I hope it works out for them.
Hope they stay open. On the other hand not thrilled it depends on smoking and poor tax gambling....
I wish there was this outpouring of support for all local small businesses in our hood and stop giving your money to Duane Reed, CVS, Starbucks, Kmart and even Amazon
> “We are going to be introducing a whole range of Gem Spa merchandise this week including long-sleeve tees, hoodies, beanies, tote bags and more as well as artwork, photography and books inspired by our store“
This is excellent that they’re back on their feet. One drop of warning: hopefully their new merchandising efforts won’t strictly focus on Gem Spa’s existence and branding. The reason it was saved is because it was apart of the neighborhood. I’d like to see some of the merchandise focus on the neighborhood itself as a way to give back for saving it’s ass. Plus who wants to go to a shop for ONLY bodega branded items?
Speaking with her earlier this week, there's a big difference between getting the suspension lifted versus ACTUALLY getting your license back. It's good news, but Gem Spa isn't out of the woods yet.
I've been patronizing them every day, and I hope they will get all their licenses reinstated ASAP!
At 10:42, Anonymous said:
I wish there was this outpouring of support for all local small businesses in our hood and stop giving your money to Duane Reed [sic], CVS, Starbucks, Kmart and even Amazon
Especially Amazon, IMO; they are the plague.
YES I AGREE!
> “We are going to be introducing a whole range of Gem Spa merchandise this week including long-sleeve tees, hoodies, beanies, tote bags and more as well as artwork, photography and books inspired by our store“
This is excellent that they’re back on their feet. One drop of warning: hopefully their new merchandising efforts won’t strictly focus on Gem Spa’s existence and branding. The reason it was saved is because it was apart of the neighborhood. I’d like to see some of the merchandise focus on the neighborhood itself as a way to give back for saving it’s ass. Plus who wants to go to a shop for ONLY bodega branded items?
Yes, wonderful news that this lovely family of people who have serviced the EV for so many years may have new life breathed back into their business. But perhaps breathing life back in is ironic in that cigarettes and tobacco products are taking the breath out of people. It would be wonderful if they could find some other product to sell that would bring in as much revenue....but that is not possible. Hopefully the Lottery license comes back and then maybe they can think about alternate products other than tobacco and gambling.
@Oct. 27 @ 5:57pm: What products do you have in mind for Gem Spa to offer? I'm curious to know what ways of making a living you think they've overlooked in their tiny space.
And if you want to cavil about them selling cigarettes & tobacco products, then you need to have exactly the same complaint about every single deli & bodega in NYC. Why single out Gem Spa? If people didn't smoke, then nobody would stock smoking products.
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