Ongoing building issues force Caffe Corretto to close after only 2 months in service on 12th Street

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.  

Openings: Caffe Corretto on 12th Street

Photos by Stacie Joy 

Caffe Corretto debuted at 511 E. 12th St. between Avenue A and Avenue B last Wednesday. 

East Village residents Colin Vickery and Leah Blewett, partners in business and life, are behind this project that they say is inspired by the all-day cafes of Rome.

Caffe Corretto serves breakfast, lunch and dinner six days a week, Wednesday through Monday (closed on Tuesdays).

Chef Nicole Dakwar prepares the breakfast pastries and lunchtime pizza al taglio ... while the evening menu features a variety of pasta dishes, seasonal salads, and other entrees via Chef Alessandro Urbisci. You can find menus here.

Hours: 8 a.m. to midnight. You can keep tabs on Caffe Corretto via Instagram.

Almost-opening report: Caffe Corretto on 12th Street

Caffe Corretto is getting closer to debuting at 511 E. 12th St. between Avenue A and Avenue B. 

Per the sidewalk sandwich board: "Hi neighbors! We are not open yet... but we are training our team." 

You can sign up for updates via the cafe's website ... or follow them on Instagram. 

Two East Village residents are behind this all-day Italian cafe with morning coffee service and dinner/drinks in the evening. 

This space was most recently Raclette.