Plywood arrives ahead of Gen Korean BBQ House on 14th Street and 3rd Avenue

Workers have surrounded the storefront on the SW corner of 14th Street and Third Avenue in plywood as renovations begin for the arrival of Gen Korean BBQ House.

The brand — known for its all-you-can-eat specials — has 18 locations in California, Hawaii, Arizona, Nevada and Texas ... with a handful more in the works. 

Community Board 3 OK'd a beer-wine license for the address back in July. (The previous tenant, 5 Napkin Burger, had a full liquor license.) Alcohol is only part of table service — there won't be any bar seating, per CB3 minutes.

The restaurant is taking the former 5 Napkin Burger space as well as the storefront next door that served as the 5 Napkin Express, then Taman Falafel. Those businesses closed at the start of the year. 

For rent signs for the empty storefronts on the SW corner of 14th and 3rd

After nearly 10 years on the SW corner of 14th Street and Third Avenue, 5 Napkin Burger closed in mid-January ... joining sister restaurant Tamam Falafel, which shuttered at the end of 2021. 

You can't help but speculate about the future of this high-profile corner with single-story structures — seemingly ripe for development. (As mentioned before: Not sure what kind of air rights there might be with the newer 21-floor 110 Third Ave. on one side and NYU's 17-floor Palladium Hall on the other.)

Anyway, for now, there are low-key for-rent signs on both retail spaces...

And yes — BRING BACK DISCO DONUT.

5 Napkin Burger closes on 3rd Avenue and 14th Street

After nearly 10 years on the SW corner of 14th Street and Third Avenue, 5 Napkin Burger has closed... signage on the front door points would-be patrons to other locations of the chainlet...

The burger joint opened here in February 2012... and in the summer of 2019, downsized the space, which became 5 Napkin Burger Express for two years ... which became Tamam Falafel, which closed at the end of 2021. (Both 5 Napkin and Tamam Falafel share the same ownership.)

This space was previously home to Robin Raj Discount Health & Beauty Aids (that seems like a long time ago!). 

There will be some speculation about the future of this high-profile corner with single-story structures — seemingly ripe for development. Not sure what kind of air rights there might be with the newer 21-floor 110 Third Ave. on one side and NYU's 17-floor Palladium Hall on the other.

Thanks to all the EVG readers who shared this news!

Updated: Flashback to the 1980s and Disco Donut here

Openings: 5 Napkin Burger Express rolls out its counter service

That 5 Napkin Burger Express is now up and running on the southwest corner of 14th Street and Third Avenue, as EVG regular Pinch pointed out this past weekend.

As we told you earlier, the 5 Napkin Burger downsized its dining room on the corner to create space for this quicker-serve option.

The Express shop does include a few stools/tables for dining in with your burger, fries and napkins. Breakfast and late-night items are in the works. For now, the current hours are 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily.

5 Napkin Burger unveils 5 Napkin Burger Express next door on 14th Street

[Photo from last month]

Toward the end of the summer, the 5 Napkin Burger outpost on the southwest corner of 14th Street at Third Avenue shrunk its dining-room space ... with workers carving out a new storefront next door. There wasn't any indication of who the new tenant might be.

The mystery was solved yesterday when the signage arrived for the new biz — 5 Napkin Burger Express, a quick-serve outpost for the chainlet ...


[Photo by EVG reader Jodi]


[Photo by EVG reader Laura]

This 5 Napkin location opened in February 2012.

5 Napkin Burger shrinks on 14th and 3rd

From the tipline, news that the 5 Napkin Burger outpost on the southwest corner of 14th Street at Third Avenue has given up some up its dining-room space.

Plywood is now up next door, as workers are carving out a new storefront in the space between 5 Napkin and Joe's Pizza...



No word just yet on the new tenant.

This 5 Napkin location opened in February 2012.

Here is your 5 Napkin Burger sidewalk cafe

Back in January, the CB3/SLA folks OK'd a sidewalk cafe for 5 Napkin Burger at 14th Street and Third Avenue. Several times we questioned whether they'd be enough room for a sidewalk cafe on a busy stretch that features food carts, bicycles, Trader Joe's food pallets, food truck lines, commuters, that one guy, etc.

Anyway, now we know... the sidewalk cafe is out ...

Perhaps they'll DBGB it and add some four-ton planters and stuff to provide a little barrier for eating.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Will there be enough room for a sidewalk cafe outside the new 5 Napkin Burger on 14th and Third?

5 Napkin Burger opening tonight for dinner

East Village resident Rob passes along this photo from outside 5 Napkin Burger on East 14th Street and Third Avenue this afternoon ...

As you can see, debuting for dinner tonight... and then starting full-service burgering tomorrow with lunch and dinner ... If you go, then please let us know how it was... and if you really needed five napkins...

Previously.

[Updated] Coming soon

More canopies and signs and stuff at 5 Napkin Burger on 14th Street and Third Avenue... Opening "really, really soon" per their Twitter account ...

[AC]

Grub Street is reporting that 5 Napkin is opening on Monday.

...and a new sign announcing the spring arrival of Boukies on Second Avenue at Second Street...

[Bobby Williams]

When 5 Napkin Burger opens, how will we get our Jeff Boss for president news?

We got a tweet the other day from the folks at 5 Napkin Burger, calling themselves "very soon-to-be neighbors."

So very soon, the plywood will come down here on Third Avenue and 14th Street...

...and when that happens, the campaign team for Jeff Boss will need to find a new wall...

Because you wanted two posts in one day about 5 Napkin Burger

Since our post from this morning, the 5 Napkiners added their signage here at 14th Street and Third Avenue...

Awnings for 5 Napkin Burger — and its sidewalk cafe

East Village resident Rob took this photo on the way to work yesterday ... not sure if the awnings at the incoming hamburger joint on 14th Street at Third Avenue will be big enough to cover their sidewalk cafe.

On Monday night, the CB3/SLA committee OK'd a sidewalk cafe for 5 Napkin, as Eater reported.

Previously, we questioned whether there was even enough room for a sidewalk cafe here. We took the following photos in the morning during the holidays. Just wait until, say, 7 p.m. some nice spring night.

Guess we'll find out.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Will there be enough room for a sidewalk cafe outside the new 5 Napkin Burger on 14th and Third?

Will there be enough room for a sidewalk cafe outside the new 5 Napkin Burger on 14th and Third?

Upon hearing that the incoming 5 Napkins Burger is aiming for a sidewalk cafe at 14th Street and Third Avenue, a few commenters questioned this, uh, wisdom...

argie said...
I'm in favor of 5 Napkin Burger's existence (I've eaten at the Hell's Kitchen one and it was tasty), but a sidewalk cafe there is madness! It's already so crowded there. Hard to even wait for the light to change without getting knocked over.

Anonymous said...
The idea of a sidewalk cafe on the corner of 14th & 3rd is silly.

Anonymous said...
The idea of a sidewalk cafe anywhere in the EV struck me as absurd years ago. Now I think to each his own, even if it's a noisy, dirty, exhaust filled location. Enjoy... you idiots.

So we took a look yesterday during a non-rush-hour time... Let's assume that the space the plywood currently takes up will be close to the size of the sidewalk cafe ... (not sure if the sidewalk cafe will be on the 14th Street or Third Avenue side...

Doesn't seem all that appealing to sit along here for a meal... just imagine what this corner will be like, at, say, 6 p.m., when you add in swarms of students, Trader Joe's shoppers, pallets of Trader Joe's products, people returning home from work ...

A glimpse of the incoming 5 Napkin Burger on 14th Street and Third Avenue

Yesterday, workers removed part of the plywood on the Third Avenue side of the incoming 5 Napkin Burger here at 14th Street...

Not much to see, to be honest. The interior still looks pretty raw. Plywood is remains up on the 14th Street.

In October, Patrick Hedlund at DNAinfo reported that a 5 Napkin Burger was opening on the southwest corner of 14th Street and Third Avenue — previously home to Robin Raj.