Photos last night by Stacie Joy
And yesterday, a notice arrived on the front door showing that the Marshal paid a visit, and the landlord is now in legal possession of the premises...
The owners were also behind El Carnaval, a Panamanian restaurant and bar, right next door at No. 40. That establishment is now permanently shuttered after going dark last summer ... a for-rent sign hangs on the storefront. We understand an applicant will be on next month's CB3-SLA docket for a new liquor license for the space.
El Carnaval was accused of serving liquor without a license in the summer of 2021. There's a video from the meeting here. (El Carnaval is the first applicant.)
We heard from multiple neighbors in the summer of 2020 — when restaurants expanded to sidewalk and curbside spaces — who complained about blaring music via DJs coming from outside the quick-serve spot.
According to the minutes from the June 2021 Community Board 3 meeting, KC Gourmet Empanadas "has been egregiously non-compliant for a year. Following community complaints, the CB3 office told them the applicants should not be playing loud music in the streets and that they were non-compliant with their outdoor seating, but the applicants did not display concern for how this behavior was negatively impacting residents."
KC opened here in February 2019.
14 comments:
Wow, it seems this place really took a turn. They opened as a great neighborhood spot serving up excellent food with friendly service. What a shame that they chose to disrespect neighbors and turned into an obnoxious place.
So did they get evicted for being a nuisance, or did they not pay rent (and all the bad neighbor stuff is just a coincidence)?
People who are "noncompliant" tend not to comply with rent payments or other "requirements", so this isn't really a surprise.
I honestly don't know small businesses can sustain themselves in today's financial climate. Unless you are independently wealthy, it's a downward slope. Too much risk and uncertainty. What's the point? We see too many places being seized by the Marshal or shut down.
That is not a fact checked assumption. See Poco...
Pretty obvious for not paying rent. Eviction for being a bad tenant is pretty complicated and rare.
How can one consistently pay rent when there isn't adequate streaming income from customer sales? It is virtually impossible. I knew someone very well who owned a restaurant/cafe who resorted in using their credit card for monthly expenses, including rent, food orders, salaries of staff, etc, believing things would take a positive turn after a couple of long, slow seasons. Nothing materialized. They accumulated 250k of CC debt and were instructed by their legal team to file for bankruptcy. They lost everything including property, got divorced, and spiraled into a horrible depression. We all want local businesses to thrive in and for our communities. The intention hopefully in sharing this story is be prudent when you launch a business. I don't want to sound hyperbolic but rather cautionary. Become realistic and pro active. Have at least one years worth of expenses and rent sorted out in the bank in allowing your venture to grow, building your brand and your consumer relationships. Seriously, do your homework. Study where you root your business and the demographic of your neighborhood. Is it sustainable and worth the risk? How much are your products? Will this pay the bills at some point? After the year is over, re-evaluate what was lost, gained, and whether it is viable to keep moving forward or to throw in the towel. This is vital so one doesn't end up being evicted from your landlord, where you are still legally on the hook for the back rent owed. Not a great situation. Wish our hood wasn't met with multiple closings.
It never occurred to me that CB3 might have a Youtube channel.
It was really great to be able to watch the meeting concerning KC Empanada & Carnaval.
The board handled that case appropriately in my opinion.
People who create and crave loud noise are people who are not comfortable listening to the voices inside their heads.
They were very good people in my opinion. The outdoor dining was something they had to do in order to survive during the pandemic. Although people did not like the noise and I totally understand they had no choice because is what was helping the restaurant. So sad to see a single mother have to close her business down.
Karla Cruz is a lovely person and I hope to see her reopen her restaurant soon.
Loved the empanadas but the loud music was excessive and disrespectful. The video of that board meeting was nuts.
Unfortunately, the proprietor, Karla Cruz' blatant arrogance towards people, her customers and the Alphabet city community had a lot to do do with the downfall of her business. Hopefully, she learns something from this experience.
Also, stick to the original cooks.
Please represent the Panamanian cultural cuisine with finess.
I used to work for her she is a sweetheart
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