C&B Café trying to make the best of a bad situation after gas shutoff on 7th Street

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

Early Tuesday morning, C&B Café owner Ali Sahin was on his way to his yet-to-open bakery at 178 E. Seventh St. when he saw the FDNY pulling up. A gas alarm in the basement of the residential building had gone off, triggering a response. 

"When I opened the door, there was a very strong smell of gas," Sahin said. 

The FDNY shut off gas to the entire building and both line valves. He fears it could take months before service is restored. The building upstairs has reportedly been in the process of converting to all-electric, which makes a full repair even less likely. 

Sahin said ConEd stayed on-site overnight. Crews shut down the Citi Bike station across the street between Avenue A and Avenue B and opened up the area around the main gas line.

He added that the issue traces back eight or nine years, to what he calls shoddy work. 

"There was an old gas line in the basement. When a new one was installed, [Con Ed workers] failed to close the other one, leaving a cut line open and potentially leaking." 

For now, C&B is still turning out wholesale orders and plenty of pastries, bread, and coffee.

Without gas to crank out their well-liked egg sandwiches, though, Sahin and his team are working on a revised menu of cold plates, salads, sandwiches, and a few dishes prepared on induction burners or their lone electric oven — possibly available starting this weekend.

C&B is currently operating with reduced staff, and Sahin said he is in contact with other restaurants to help place workers if the shutdown drags on.

"At first I was angry," Sahin said. "Now I am just glad we did not explode."