Photo from June 2023 by Stacie Joy
After more than five months of frustrating limbo during building repairs, the owners of Caffe Corretto announced yesterday that they will not be reopening at 511 E. 12th St. between Avenue A and Avenue B.
East Village residents Colin Vickery and Leah Blewett, partners in business and life, were behind this project that they say was inspired by the all-day cafes of Rome.
Sadly, though, they only were able to realize their dream of running a restaurant for two months last summer.
The two shared this statement with us yesterday:
We are heartbroken to announce that Caffe Corretto will not return ...After years of planning, two joyful months of service, and five months and counting of frustrating limbo, the ongoing repairs to our building have forced us to depart permanently. Following a gas leak that was discovered in August, we were required to close our doors, and while we've worked hard since then, the space still cannot be used for our restaurant at this time.We remain hopeful that the robust and comprehensive business interruption insurance that we purchased to protect us in the case of an event like this will come through. However, without that crucial support for our young business, we must bid farewell to our home on 12th Street.We want to share our warmest thanks with our team, our investors, our friends and family, and especially our guests. Welcoming you was an unmitigated delight, and we will miss you dearly.
We're so grateful for all of the love and support you've shown us, including through this interminable closure, and we look forward to seeing you around our neighborhood for a caffe, a slice, or a cold vermouth over ice with a twist.
In a follow-up email with EVG's Stacie Joy, Leah said:
We love the idea of reopening at some point, but for now, it's far away and would for certain require our business interruption insurance to pay according to the terms of our policy. Until then, there's not much we can do except vacate the space and wait and see.
Caffe Corretto opened last June, offering an appealing mix of breakfast pastries and lunchtime pizza al taglio ... while the evening menu featured a variety of pasta dishes, seasonal salads, and other entrees via Chef Alessandro Urbisci.
Previously, Raclette was here for six years, bowing out in 2022.
This seems about the most cut and dry sort of situation for an insurance payout that could be imagined. Sad they can't get what the paid all that money for.
ReplyDeleteInsurance companies always find a way not to pay out. They give you a heavily worded contract that you need a magnifying glass to read and demand that you pay your monthly premiums on time and if you don't, they will drop your policy like a rock. Of course, When something happens, and you need them to pay up then there is always someone at the company telling you "Oh we are sorry but Section 27 Subsection 3 paragraph A in your policy states that we cannot pay you for the following reasons". Insurance companies regularly commit this non-payment scam against their customers every chance they get.
ReplyDeleteYes, that's how the insurance business works, no matter what their marketing tells you - maximize premiums, minimize claims. Do everything possible to avoid paying claims. And exactly why health care shouldn't be in the hands of the insurance industry.
ReplyDeleteSad to see that even those who do everything "right" can lose their livelihood and dream over bureaucracy. The official gas leak response in this city is untenable to regular life/business, though I understand why it became this way.
ReplyDeleteI can only imagine the incredible level of frustration and anger they must feel, having done so much work to bring their dream to reality, and then to have this happen.
ReplyDeleteI hope they *will* get a full payout from their insurance company. If necessary, their insurance company should be able to claim against the building owner's insurance coverage.
The "gas leak" issue that closes down gas service to entire buildings and leaves people & businesses without heat or cooking gas for untold months or even years is now a horror of NYC life. And even worse, it doesn't seem like a priority to landlords or to ConEd how long people are left without this basic necessity. If ever there ought to be a law mandating how QUICKLY this must be remedied, this situation is it.
I can't imagine pouring all that work (and money) into a project, only to have it torpedoed like this even with insurance. Heartbreaking.
ReplyDeleteA real tragedy. These folks were hardworking, talented human beings who had one of the best deals going as far as restaurants are concerned in the East Village. I hope they find a new location and can carry out their dream.
ReplyDeleteSo very sorry for them. Who is the landlord? "Gas leaks" have been used to empty buildings regularly by the predatory real estate developers in the neighborhood. It is how Icon Real Estate worked to get rid of the beloved neighborhood restaurant the Stage Restaurant and harassed tenants of that building for years.
ReplyDeleteHeartbreaking. I was so excited to have them in the neighborhood.
ReplyDeleteI feel so bad for them. This is part of the problem of opening a restaurant in one of these old tenements. We were without gas in our building for nearly a year. The landlords have no incentive to make any improvements beyond cosmetic. The electrical and pipes in most of these buildings are ancient. When they go, it's bad. This place was a welcome addition to the neighborhood. I wish the owners the best going forward.
ReplyDeleteThis is sad news, this spot really had its heart in the right place. I will miss the pizza and the breezy, cafe atmosphere they brought to 12th Street. Hopefully things work out with the insurance and they find a new spot in the EV!
ReplyDelete@1:27- The peanut galley can scream bloody murder but as you mentioned, and as I have stated many times, these old buildings are bad, bad, bad. Plus they're loaded with all kinds of toxic shit like lead, asbestos, and formaldehyde. Upgrades cost a fortune and often do not necessarily solve the problem.
ReplyDeleteAs for the insurance issue hereI don't know all the particulars , but in my experience the insurance company always pays and usually very quickly. I have friends in the West Village whose water damaged bathroom was not only completely renovated, but they were put up in a hotel for several weeks while the repairs were ongoing. Read the fine print and know what you're signing.
Don't know about this situation specifically, but in a number of other buildings fixing gas leaks gets done very quickly. Any qualified plumber can do the work. The hold-up is in the mandatory ConEd inspection of the work. ConEd has no incentive to hire an adequate number of inspectors, so buildings wait for weeks or months, sometimes close to a year, for the inspections.
ReplyDeleteAnyone contemplating opening a restaurant should consider a gas line inspection first. Do not take the word of the previous restaurant owner or the landlord. What happened here is terrible.
ReplyDeleteOne would think that would already be a requirement! And FYI electric overs and fryers exist… no gas needed.
DeleteMaybe Old Devil Moon can reopen.
ReplyDelete