Photos by Stacie Joy
We hadn't seen Mug & Cup open for several months here at 115 Avenue C between Seventh Street and Eighth Street.
There's now legal documentation on the door... the Marshal has taken possession of the storefront on behalf of the landlord...
No. 115 had been vacant for the past few years as the building was sold and gut-renovated. The retail space has been empty since Le Jardin Bistro closed in June 2015. Previous ventures here included Apartment 13 and The Porch.
I live around the corner from this spot. I think there was another merchant here before but they quickly exited. In order to maintain this space, afford your staff, insurance, rent, food expenses, taxes, etc, one must have active stream of revenue from many customers on a daily basis in order to survive let alone thrive. I walked past this almost each day and never saw one customer present. I believe it is the product you're selling. And this brand wasn't cutting it. Honestly, I don't understand why another tenant would sign on to have this storefront without studying the logistics of your business and product, if the neighborhood fits into that, what services do those in this community seem to enjoy, what you're willing to risk to open, and why are you opening here? Just because a space is available to lease, it doesn't mean one should. A lot people don't outweigh the pros and cons before jumping in and realizing it might be a mistake afterwards nor have adequate savings to subsist for at least a year until things pick up. My boyfriend did something similar to the latter pre pandemic and lost a lot when it his venture failed, but luckily he still had a solid reserve of savings to float on with his next adventure. Many don't. And that is we see one business after another shut down in a number of months, sometimes weeks.
ReplyDeleteIn addition to this store and the original in East Flatbush, I have seen other locations on 1st and 19th across from Stuy Town, in the LES and in Park Slope. Going from 1 to 5 (a least) locations in less than a year may have been too much to handle.
ReplyDeleteI was so excited when this coffee shop opened on my block. However, the staff didn't seem to know what they were doing and looked at me like I had two heads when I asked for an iced latte with three espresso shots. It was honestly the worst cup of coffee I've ever had and tasted like dirty water. I never went back and really wanted to love this place given the proximity to my apartment. As someone who works in marketing, they definitely need some help, especially with their logo and brand awareness, so it's a shame it didn't work out.
ReplyDelete