Friday, October 28, 2022

The East Village Mermaid Inn is now closed until the spring

Photos by Stacie Joy

After a 7-week encore, Mermaid Inn has gone dark once again on Second Avenue — until the spring. 

The East Village location has been removed from the Mermaid Inn Instagram account... and reservations are no longer available here between Fifth Street and Sixth Street. A spokesperson for Mermaid Inn said this outpost is "closing for the winter" and will reopen in April.

EVG contributor Stacie Joy took these photos at the space yesterday... 
This is a deflating development, as the restaurant reopened for business on Sept. 8. In the comments on previous posts, residents cheered on its return.
 
Mermaid Inn closed here during the pandemicCo-owner Daniel Abrams and partner Cindy Smith decided to shut down the seafood restaurant in the wake of failed attempts to reach a workable rent deal, Eater reported at the time. 

There were later issues with a stringent State Liquor Authority that was delaying the reopening.

The Mermaid Inn arrived in the East Village back in 2003. There are also locations in Greenwich Village, Chelsea and the Upper West Side... with Mermaid Mexicana opening in the spring on MacDougal Street. 

Meanwhile, a big outpost is opening soon on Times Square

7 comments:

  1. My guess is that they won't re-open; too many headaches, and plenty of other spaces they can move to if they want an EV outpost.

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  2. I believe the upper west side location also cloaed

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  3. AAARRRGGGHHH.

    I was just going to go here tonight.

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  4. "I believe the upper west side location also cloaed"



    Yelp says that is is "Temporarily closed". Not a good sign.

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  5. Not surprising. I worked at this location a few years ago for around six months. It wasn't the worst job I had as a waiter. The money and staff were okay. Not great. But cool and flexible management nonetheless. Winter is usually the slowest period of business for them. And I have a hunch they won't return given the looming uncertainty plagued by both our economy and the rising inflation costs which are being felt throughout the world. Their West Village location of MacDougal is doing really well according to my friend who is employed there. Perhaps it is best to redirect energy there and with the Times Square spot. So many owners I know are struggling to keep afloat in the restaurant industry throughout Manhattan, especially here in our neighborhood where a huge number places were forced to close from the lockdown and pandemic. Having multiple establishments can be a gamble. They will do better in another neighborhood. Just not here.

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  6. The only thing missing is a sign on the window saying “Peelin’ Potatoes.”

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