Wednesday, July 1, 2026

The Pizza Pusha says goodbye to 4th Street

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

Stoned Gourmet Cannabis Pizza has closed at 235 E. Fourth St. near Avenue B. 

Owner Chris Barrett — better known to many customers as "The Pizza Pusha" — opened the restaurant in the fall of 2020, serving cannabis-infused pizzas, snacks and drinks in a space with blacked-out windows, a dining room and a private smoking lounge. 

Barrett said the closure came after a combination of building issues and an impasse with the landlord.

"The rats chased us out," he told EVG yesterday morning. "The rats are scaring my customers, especially at night. Plus electrical problems. The A/C is broken, and it costs $30,000 to fix, and the landlord won't help."
Barrett said he paid $12,500 a month in rent, plus an additional $10,000 for the apartments upstairs after tenants complained about smoke. 

"I stopped paying," he said. "I said that's it." 

According to Barrett, city marshals arrived yesterday morning shortly after he finished clearing out the space.

"I cleaned the place out at 8 a.m., and the marshal came at 9," he said.
The business isn't disappearing entirely. Barrett said everything — including the staff — is relocating to a new Astoria location featuring three floors, a backyard with a retractable roof and more parking. 

"I'm so sad to go," he said. "I love this place. I love the neighborhood. This was my first restaurant. All morning, people have come by to say they are sad to see us go." 

Barrett said he had hoped to resolve the building issues but ultimately couldn't justify making additional investments in the East Village location. 

"Up until a couple of days ago, I thought we could work things out, but in the end, no deal," he said.
As for what comes next at 235 E. Fourth St.? 

"You know what I think?" Barrett said. "I think this place is going to sit empty." 

HT to the EVG reader who first alerted us to the marshal's notice.

Previously on EV Grieve: 
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1 comment:

  1. XeoJuly 1, 2026 at 10:34 AM

    I knew this place was supposedly a pizza place but for the last few years I thought it switched to being a nightclub. Just straight up gave no pizza vibes and 100% nightclub vibes lol. The most surprising thing here for me is that it still served pizza haha

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