Zee Convenience & Smoke debuts on Avenue A

Zee Convenience & Smoke is up and running now on the SE corner of Avenue A and 13th Street. (Thanks to Steven for the top photo.)

The signage notes that available goods here include CBD/hemp, beverages, e-cigarettes, snacks and hookah.... and, per this interior photo by Lola Sáenz, paper towels and cigars...

We understand that ownership here operates other shops, perhaps Zee Smoke & Convenience (not to be confused with Zee Convenience & Smoke) on 14th Street between Second Avenue and Third Avenue.

Caffè Bene closed here in December after nearly six years in business.

And as previously noted ... back in May, the owners of Keybar on 13th Street between Avenue A and First Avenue were looking to relocate here, but the application didn't make it past Community Board 3. 

1 guess on what is coming to this empty storefront on Avenue A and 13th Street

Activity, including the installation of glass cigar cases, continues inside the storefront on the SE corner of Avenue A and 13th Street... a worker on the scene said it will be a — SMOKE SHOP. 

The business is expected to be open in the next few weeks. Until then, you can try one of the other two dozen smoke shops in the neighborhood.

Back in May, the owners of Keybar on 13th Street between Avenue A and First Avenue were looking to relocate here, but the application didn't make it past Community Board 3.

Caffè Bene closed here in December after nearly six years in business... until 2014, the space was Kim's Laundromat & Cleaners for some 30 years. 

Thank you to EVG reader Erika for the photo and tip!

Caffè Bene has closed on Avenue A

The Caffè Bene outpost on the SE corner of Avenue A and 13th Street has closed. Workers cleared out the space last week (thank you to Steven for the photos)...

As we understand it, the family of this franchise owner, Rish Sheth, has a deli uptown, and they decided to combine the business. (We also heard the landlord was raising the rent by $2,000 a month here.)

The cafe arrived here in late 2015, offering a variety of coffee drinks, breakfast and lunch items, etc. 

In September 2020,  as part of a pandemic pivot, Sheth added a line of South Asian-inspired groceries and snacks, from bags of Masala Munch to boxes of Parle-G biscuits, alongside Caffe Béne's usual fare. He named this new part of the business Jaleby, which continues to have an online presence for deliveries here. 

This was one of two Caffè Bene franchises to open in the East Village in 2015. The location at 24 St. Mark's Place between Second Avenue and Third Avenue closed in April 2017 after 17 months of business. 

H/T Lola Sáenz... and thanks to Laura and dwg, who also shared photos last week. 

Caffe Béne now selling South Asian-inspired groceries and snacks

Rish Sheth, the owner of Caffe Béne, recently expanded his business here on Avenue A at 13th Street  ... adding a line of authentic and South Asian-inspired groceries and snacks, from bags of Masala Munch to boxes of Parle-G biscuits, alongside Caffe Béne's usual fare...

 

EVG regular shared Lola Sáenz shared these photos...

 

 
 

He named this new part of the business Jaleby, which also has an online presence for deliveries here.

Many NYC restaurants have added to their existing services, offering meal kits and establishing pantries to help boost revenue during the pandemic downturn...

Smash and grab at Caffé Bene on Avenue A

The NYPD was spotted at Caffé Bene this morning on Avenue A at 13th Street.

As the above photo by EVG regular Lola Saénz shows, the burglars — said to be wearing ponchos, masks and thick gloves — smashed part of the front glass door and made off with the shop's e-bikes.

There has been a reported rise in commercial burglaries in the past two months during the COVID-19 pause.

Former Caffe Bene space under renovation on St. Mark's Place

The former Caffe Bene space is getting the covered-window treatment on St. Mark's Place between Second Avenue and Third Avenue.

Renovations are underway inside the space... the work permits don't reveal who the new tenant is here at No. 24.

Per the permit in the all-cap DOBguage: "PROPOSE TO PERFORM INTERIOR RENOVATION WORK ON THE FIRST FLOOR RETAIL SPACE AS SHOWN IN THE PLANS SUCH AS INSTALL NON LOAD BEARING WALLS, COUNTER, CABINETS, REPLACE SINK AND COSMETIC WORK OF PAINTING."

If you had to bet based on current neighborhood retail trends, then something involving desserts or noodles would be a safe wager.

The Caffe Bene outpost closed back in April after 17 months in business.

Before Caffe B, the address was a Pinkberry. The space was on the market for nearly six months before Caffe Bene signed a 10-year lease in August 2015, with a reported asking rent in the $240 per-square-foot territory.

Oh yes the former Caffe Bene storefront is still for rent

In recent weeks the for rent sign was no longer in the front window at 24 St. Mark's Place between Second Avenue and Third Avenue, in what was the former Caffe Bene space. A few Former Caffe Bene Watchers wondered if the space had been leased.

However! The sign made its triumphant return this week, as the above photo shows.

Plus! The listing is finally now online at Eastern Consolidated. In case you are curious, the asking rent is $14,000 a month.

Caffe Bene closed back in April after 17 months in business.

The former Caffe Bene space is actually for rent on St. Mark's Place

[Photo from May 5]

The Caffe Bene outpost at 24 St. Mark's Place between Second Avenue and Third Avenue closed back in April after 17 months in business.

A for rent sign arrived on May 4 ... however, there hasn't been a corresponding listing online at broker Eastern Consolidated ... meanwhile, the for rent sign has fallen down.



After lying in a heap for several weeks, someone put the sign back up yesterday...



Before Caffe B, the address was a Pinkberry. The space was on the market for nearly six months before Caffe Bene signed a 10-year lease in August 2015, with a reported asking rent in the $240 per-square-foot territory.

The Marshal visits former Caffe Bene space on St. Mark's Place

As noted on Monday, the 17-month-old Caffe Bene outpost closed at 24 St. Mark's Place between Second Avenue and Third Avenue ... and yesterday, the Marshal paid a visit, taking legal possession of the space for the landlord...



Expect a new for rent sign soon enough...

Caffe Bene closes on St. Mark's Place

[Photo yesterday by Steven]

The Caffe Bene outpost at 24 St. Mark's Place between Second Avenue and Third Avenue closed on Saturday ... workers were spotted removing boxes yesterday.


[Photo this morning by Steven]

This location, one of 1,600 worldwide that is part of the South Korean-based company, never seemed all that busy since opening in December 2015.

Apparently they weren't attracting their target audience.

According to brokers quoted in the Commercial Observer in August 2015, the building's landlord, Beame Realty, "is looking to tap into the hedge funds and tech companies coming to 51 Astor Place, as well as the New York University and St. John’s University crowd."

Caffe Bene had signed a 10-year lease, with asking rent in the $240 per-square-foot territory.

The storefront previously housed a Pinkberry, which closed at the beginning of 2015.

Previously on EV Grieve:
2 Caffe Bene locations coming to the East Village

Work starts on the 2 Caffe Bene spaces in the East Village

Updated: A few more days for Caffe Bene's reopening on Avenue A with an expanded menu

As we noted last week, Caffe Bene on Avenue A at 13th Street closed for renovations.

The signage noted that the cafe was adding items such as burgers, steaks, quinoa bowls, tacos and quesadillas to the menu.

Caffe Bene remains closed today, just a day past the expected reopening... the new sign notes that they need a few more days on the renovations...



Rish, the owner here, left a comment on the previous post. He wrote, in part:

1) The previous menu is still in full effect — we'll still have yogurt, acai & pitaya bowls, avocado toast, waffles & soups.
2) We're adding a menu through which we can attract more of a crowd in the evening. We close at 11PM on most nights and midnight on the others so it's very tough for us to cater to "late-night drinkers"

Thanks to Steven for the photos!

Updated 2 p.m.

EVG reader Lola Sáenz shared these photos... she was there to hang a piece of her art in the cafe...



... she also shared a photo of the new menu...



Updated 1/18

The cafe is now back open.

Caffe Bene temporarily closes on Avenue A to expand its menu

Several EVG readers noted that brown paper went up in the windows at Caffe Bene on Avenue A at 13th Street.

Signs arrived out front later noted:

We're closed for renovations & will re-open Tuesday, January 10th

Coming soon: Burgers, steaks, quinoa bowls, tacos, quesadillas, etc.

Said one neighbor: "Sounds like they're shifting to a menu that'll cater more to late-night drinkers than the cell phone and laptop crowd."

This Caffe Bene location does have a beer-wine license. It opened here in late 2015... the coffeehouse chain is based in Seoul, South Korea. The previous menu for this Caffe Bene shows items including avocado toast, yogurt bowls, waffles and soups ... as well as a variety of coffee drinks.

H/T @PeterKimFrank

Previously on EV Grieve:
2 Caffe Bene locations coming to the East Village (45 comments)

Reader report: Rent hike washes away longtime Avenue A laundromat

Work starts on the 2 Caffe Bene spaces in the East Village

Brewing Soon signage arrives for Caffe Bene on Avenue A

[Updated] Caffe Bene opens today on St. Mark's Place

The (soft) opening sign has been up inside here at 24 St. Mark's Place between Second Avenue and Third Avenue...



The storefront previously housed a Pinkberry, which closed at the beginning of the year.

This will make the second Caffe Benne to open in the East Village in recent weeks. The outpost on Avenue A at East 13th Street, which serves beer and wine, is up and running too...

Has anyone been to the Avenue A location? Several readers have noted that the proprietor of this franchise (the company is based in Seoul, South Korea) lives in the neighborhood, where he grew up in a family of deli/market owners.

The one comment I heard from several people about the Avenue A location — it's a little bright...



... at least compared with Ost Cafe a block away on A at East 12th Street...



Updated 9:04 a.m.

Several neighbors have now noted that the Avenue A Caffe Bene is opting for the bar vibe, promoting football and a buy-one-get-one-free special on weekend nights ... instead of say, coffee ...



CB3 signed off on the beer-wine license back in September, though with some hesitation ...

From the minutes (PDF) of that meeting:

Community Board 3 was concerned about granting a wine beer license to this applicant given that 1) this application for an international coffee house chain store is in a location which has previously been unlicensed and was last operated as a laundromat, 2) this location is in close proximity to numerous businesses with liquor licenses, as well as numerous independently operated small coffee shops, 3) that this applicant has no experience operating an eating and drinking establishment or having a wine beer license, 4) while there are seven (7) coffee houses in New York City from this international chain, this is the only operator seeking to obtain a wine beer license, and 5) opposition from area residents, the 182-184 Avenue A Tenants Association and the North Avenue A Neighborhood Association to the granting of an additional liquor license for this location because of its hours of operation, the number of other licensed businesses in the area and the garbage, drunkenness and noise which now pervades this corner..

According to the stipulations, this Caffe Benne may have a happy hour to 8 p.m. each night. The above photo is from 10:47 p.m., according to the neighbor who took it (and the time stamp on the photo)...

H/T Steven

Previously on EV Grieve:
2 Caffe Bene locations coming to the East Village (45 comments)

Reader report: Rent hike washes away longtime Avenue A laundromat (11 comments)

Work starts on the 2 Caffe Bene spaces in the East Village (26 comments)

Brewing Soon signage arrives for Caffe Bene on Avenue A (25 comments)

The Caffe Bene on Avenue A looks very close to opening (24 comments)

The Caffe Bene on Avenue A looks very close to opening

Here on the southeast corner at 13th Street…





… there are CB-branded door handles and an ATM inside too…





No word on an opening date, but it would appear to be close to being ready.

This location of the cafe from the company based in Seoul, South Korea, will also serve beer and wine.

Previously on EV Grieve:
2 Caffe Bene locations coming to the East Village (45 comments)

Reader report: Rent hike washes away longtime Avenue A laundromat

Work starts on the 2 Caffe Bene spaces in the East Village

Brewing Soon signage arrives for Caffe Bene on Avenue A

Brewing Soon signage arrives for Caffe Bene on Avenue A

Work is moving right along on the southeast corner of Avenue A and 13th Street, where the former laundromat is getting closer to becoming a Caffe Bene… the Brewing Soon signage arrived late last week…



… announcing the coffee and waffles from the company based in Seoul, South Korea … as well as a hiring notice…

The proprietors for this location received the OK from CB3 for a beer-wine license during the August meeting. Here's what CB3 had to say via the meeting minutes (PDF):

[W]hile Community Board 3 is reticent in approving an additional liquor license for a chain coffee shop at a previously unlicensed location in this already overburdened area which is serviced by many coffee shops, given that such a license is likely to be approved and the applicant has made amendments to its method of operation in response to community concerns...

A Caffe Bene is also in the works for the former Pinkberry space at 24 St. Mark's Place between Third Avenue and Second Avenue … Here's a look at that storefront on Saturday…



They have not applied for a liquor license. Yet anyway.

Previously on EV Grieve:
2 Caffe Bene locations coming to the East Village (45 comments)

Reader report: Rent hike washes away longtime Avenue A laundromat

Work starts on the 2 Caffe Bene spaces in the East Village

Work starts on the 2 Caffe Bene spaces in the East Village

[Photo by EVG contributor Steven]

A few Mondays ago we reported that Caffe Bene, the coffeehouse chain based in Seoul, South Korea, is opening two locations in the East Village.

Work has started at both of the incoming Caffe Bene spaces… paper and permits are up at 24 St. Mark's Place between Third Avenue and Second Avenue … in the former Pinkberry space (above) … and the plywood arrived last Thursday at the southeast corner of Avenue A and East 13th Street…



The proprietors of the Avenue A location are seeking a beer-wine license for the address. (They will make their case tonight before CB's SLA committee.)

The previous tenant, Kim's Laundromat & Cleaners, got rent-hiked out of here in July 2014.

We were trying to find out how long the corner storefront was home to a laundromat… we traced it back to at least 1983 via this photo by Sally Davies…



And we used Google's Street View to [try to] match up for a then and now…



Previously on EV Grieve:
2 Caffe Bene locations coming to the East Village (45 comments)

Reader report: Rent hike washes away longtime Avenue A laundromat

2 Caffe Bene locations coming to the East Village

Caffe Bene, the coffeehouse chain based in Seoul, South Korea, with nearly 20 locations planned for NYC, will be opening two outposts in the East Village in the months ahead.



The first location is on the southeast corner of Avenue A and East 13th Street (above).

This Caffe Bene is seeking a beer-wine license for the address, and reps will make their case during this month's CB3 SLA committee meeting on Aug. 17.

The previous longtime tenant, Kim's Laundromat & Cleaners, got rent-hiked out of here in July 2014. The new tenant will likely mean the end of Chico's tribute from 2009 to Eric "Taz" Pagan outside the laundromat. Pagan, 42, a bouncer at the former Forbidden City lounge on Avenue A, was shot and killed trying to break up a fight on Aug. 23, 2009. Pagan was not on duty at the time of the shooting.

---

The second Caffe Bene is coming to 24 St. Mark's Place between Third Avenue and Second Avenue … in the former Pinkberry space.



According to the Commercial Observer, who first reported on this deal, Caffe Bene signed a 10-year lease, with asking rent in the $240 per-square-foot territory.

The brokers told the Commercial Observer that the building's landlord, Beame Realty, "is looking to tap into the hedge funds and tech companies coming to 51 Astor Place, as well as the New York University and St. John’s University crowd."

The IBM Watson Building/Death Star at 51 Astor Place looms large over the block in more ways than one…