Huertas, the popular Basque restaurant at 107 First Ave. between Sixth Street and Seventh Street, will shut down next month.
And it isn't over a lack of business. Chef-co-owner Jonah Miller explained the situation — a new landlord — in an email to patrons yesterday.
It's with a great deal of sadness that I share that Huertas will be closing on August 12th.Our building was purchased a couple of months ago and our 10-year lease is coming to an end soon. I've been negotiating with the new landlord, but we haven't been able to come to a number that works for both sides.Our last service will be Friday, August 12th. Until then we will be open 5 days-a-week, Tuesday-Saturday (closed Sunday/Monday). While it's certainly been a difficult situation to navigate and it's an upsetting outcome, I hope that the next several weeks can be celebratory.For nearly a decade we've been passing pintxos and pouring vermouth on 1st Avenue. We've hosted weddings, countless birthday celebrations, and made many friends along the way.We're not sure what’s next, but we're proud of the restaurant we’ve built. We have every intention of finishing strong and hope to see many of you in the coming weeks!Thanks for the support!
Public records show that an LLC called First Avenue Property Owner with a Great Neck, N.Y., address bought the three-building parcel — 105-109 First Ave. — in a deal worth nearly $14 million.
News of the closing circulated quickly... several EVG readers wrote in about it, lamenting the loss of this space with a friendly, professional staff ... and savory small plates to share.
Huertas opened in April 2014.
Image via the Huertas website.
16 comments:
Suburban fucking greedy "landlords". How's life out in Great Neck, you vampires? This is all just a deal for you - a way to cascade money into your bank account, b/c you don't know any of the people whose lives you are upending, nor do you care one scintilla about them. I hope your karma comes around very very quickly.
If there were high enough taxes on such sales, Great Neckers would leave us in peace....
This seems to be a consistent pattern that successful businesses in the neighborhood find themselves forced to close or move when their 10-year lease is up. You'd think landlords would want to keep a successful business in place rather than risk having an empty storefront for months on end while waiting for a new business willing to pay their rent.
Huertas is phenomenal. Sad to see them go :/
Where is Carlina Rivera working on behalf of small businesses and not just real estate industry?
@ 9:37 AM
Sadly, nobody cares about any of this enough to want to occupy the job that Rivera currently holds.
Great staff, wonderful food. This closing hurts.
@9:13am: You make an excellent point, which only serves to underscore what jackasses most of these "investors" are.
@9:37am: I'm sure Rivera had an urgent appointment to have her nails buffed or something. Surely you don't expect anything from her now that she just got (unbelievably) re-elected? She's confident that she has her income locked-in, so she doesn't really need to *do* anything at all. In other words, it's business-as-usual for her & her office.
PS: I want to know WTF is wrong with voters around here, that she keeps getting re-elected. I guess there are more brain-dead people in this area than I realized.
What a loss!
@10:04 AM and 10:49AM
Allie Ryan has run twice against CR, but unfortunately lost both times. The voting turnouts, particularly for primaries, are outrageously pathetic. People need to vote in both primaries and Nov. elections! It's not only our right, but a privilege to vote!!!
Greedy landlords strike again
I worked here as a bartender when they first opened. Great owners. Cool job. Low key, respectful customers. I quit only after a year on good terms and left the hospitality industry for good. Places like this are what make the neighborhood cool and interesting. Yet, the optimal greed of landlords is staggering. What will most likely happen is this spot will now remain vacant for an indefinite period of time. It's so selfish and dumb. Instead of having a loyal, long term tenant who pays the rent, one would rather charge more, only to kick them out, to prove a point? I haven't visited in a few years since the pandemic and need to pay another visit before it is too late. This is awful news. Damn.
Not a fan of Carlina rivera at all, but what exactly is she supposed to do in this situation, that’s within reason and within her authority?
@2:18PM - shhh, there isn't actually a reason, they just like to blame her incessantly for everything.
This obviously sucks but the landlord is within their right to set lease terms on a new commercial lease, the Council can't get involved with that other than passing a commercial rent stabilization program. Which I support, but seems to have been proposed & hasn't gone anywhere since.
"Getting her nails done" is a gendered insult that is not only despicable but factually ridiculous. Rivera just gave birth a few months ago and is still showing up daily to public events in the district + campaigning for her job. She's putting in way more for the district than the people still bellyaching about the salt-water-killed trees in East River Park that they swore should live forever. The East Village side of the district has had maybe 5-6 buildings get built since she was first elected & people still complain about "gentrification" like she was the one to start all of that.
IDK maybe she was a big moron for failing to get 107 First Ave folded into a bigger "historic district" as part of the Zero Irving deal 10-11 blocks away from there. Or maybe people have unrealistic expectations & complain about everything. What sounds more correct to you
The bottom line reason for this and the destruction of what was once a vibrant and diverse community full of mom and pop businesses is the outsized impact of predatory capitalist, profiteering, speculators of the Real Estate Board of New York aka the real industry lobby group; the top political contributors and lobbyists in NY state, and our crazy political contribution system which forces politicians to work for the corporations and not the people. Hence no political will to pass laws such as small business rent caps and all the other horrors of our political system controlled by $$$ such as the venal finance wizardry like that allowed by Bush et al that caused the 2008 housing crash, private equity destroying the the housing market, and finally, and most confounding, all of those who do not vote. Vive la revolution!
RE 3:51 "the top political contributors and lobbyists in NY state"
To be accurate, the top contributors in NYS are Labor Groups.
tps://www.followthemoney.org/at-a-glance?y=2020&s=NY
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