New alt.coffee concept vying for former Meatball Shop space on Stanton

East Village resident Nick Bodor recently told us about his plans to revive several of his former businesses under one roof, including alt.coffee (1995-2007 on Avenue A) and Cake Shop (2005-2016 on Ludlow Street).

It looks like he has found a potential new home for the business that will include an all-day cafe service, small bar, several weekly live music performances (ending by 10 p.m.) and a t-shirt emporium. 

Bodor is applying for a liquor license for alt.cafe at 84 Stanton St. between Allen and Orchard — the former Meatball Shop, which shut down in February 2020.

He's on this month's CB3-SLA committee docket for the address. (The meeting is on June 14.) You can find the questionnaire online here. 

Read more about his plans at this link.

Previously on EV Grieve:

• The owner of alt.coffee and Cake Shop is looking to start a new cafe concept 

The owner of alt.coffee and Cake Shop is looking to start a new cafe concept

Updated 5/28: According to materials on the CB3 website, Bodor will be vying for the former Meatball Shop space at 84 Stanton St. just east of Allen.

East Village resident Nick Bodor, who has owned and operated several local businesses in the past 25 years, is looking to lease a storefront in the area for a venture that combines and revives several of his former concepts, including the music venue, bar and cafe Cake Shop. 

"I am looking at spaces in the neighborhood to re-boot alt-coffee (1995-2007 on Avenue A) and meld it with Cake Shop, the Library Bar plus add a T-shirt store: alt-cafe bar, bakeshop and T-shirt emporium," he said in an email. 

He's currently securing investors for the business (see this link for details). Here's part of his pitch:

• We think the community is missing us now more than ever and we need to develop something new. 

• We hope to create a new long running, passionate, maybe slightly eccentric business... just like our previous venues. 

• We want to open a young adult friendly cafe/performance space/screen printing facility/retail store/bakery in New York.

The Library Bar at 7 Avenue A has been closed since the start of the pandemic. However, the new venture won't impact its status. The Library, d.b.a., Doc Holliday's and Milano's will reopen this summer, said Bodor, a partner in the group that owns these bars. 

Cake Shop photo from December 2016 by Walter Wlodarczyk

Saying goodbye to the Cake Shop

After 11 years of offering an array of live music from its cramped basement space, Cake Shop — called "Manhattan’s Last Great Rock Club" by Spin — closed after one last show on New Year's Eve.

The two-level cafe/music venue at 152 Ludlow St. between Stanton and Rivington had its share of well-documented financial struggles through the years. In an email to supporters last week, owners Nick and Andy Bodor wrote that "location and sustainability in our current and long running model have been an issue for more than a long time ... we are failing to keep up with the bills, we have been for years."

The current Ludlow Street space has been emptied out as the Bodors plan to open a new venture in the space. Meanwhile, there's hope that the Cake Shop might be resurrected in some form in Brooklyn.

The Cake Shop hosted a string of sold-out farewell shows leading up to New Year's Eve. Brooklyn-based photographer Walter Wlodarczyk shared photos from the penultimate night (Dec. 30)...










[Future Punx]


[Cassie Ramone]




[Cause Co-Motion!]


[Andy Bodor with Cause Co-Motion!]


[178 Product]

2 live music venues, Cake Shop and Elvis Guesthouse, closing after New Year's Eve

[EVG file photo of Elvis Guesthouse]

Live music takes another hit as two venues are shutting down after New Year's Eve.

• Elvis Guesthouse, 85 Avenue A

The bar, located in a subterranean space between Fifth Street and Sixth Street, recently confirmed — via Brooklyn Vegan — the rumors of a pending closure.

The venue opened in early 2015 ... and by November 2015 had drawn complaints from neighbors who say the owners didn't do enough to mitigate the noise from the space. At that time they were said to cut back on the number of shows in the space.

Elvis Guesthouse co-owners Zachary Mexico and Billy Jones, who operate Baby's All Right in Williamsburg, are opening a venue on Lafayette near Astor Place described as an "an indie music hall and restaurant."

• Cake Shop, 152 Ludlow St.

The 11-year-old cafe/live music venue between Stanton and Rivington has had its share of financial struggles ... which owners Nick and Andy Bodor were able to overcome with a crowdfunding campaign in 2012.

Earlier this year, the owners were looking to sell the ground floor cafe/bar while maintaining the well-curated live-music spot downstairs.

BoweryBoogie has more on what's ahead for the space via an email from the Bodors...

We will close for improvements January 1, and reopen as soon as possible, but the end of Cake Shop in its current incarnation is this coming New Year’s Eve. Tonight is the start of some very, very special goodbye shows, and we’d love to see you all!!

Location and sustainability in our current and long running model have been an issue for more than a long time, as I’m sure you’ve heard me whine about for years. As beloved to you and me as it is, we are failing to keep up with the bills, we have been for years. It’s been the longest, most fulfillable, most enjoyable project of my entire life.

You can find a list of their final shows here.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Comeback special: Arrow Bar owners opening Elvis Guesthouse on Avenue A

Elvis Guesthouse officially ready for occupancy tonight

Report: Live music ends for now at Elvis Underground

Cake Shop will rock on

At It's a Wonderful Life!: A benefit for Rev. Jen Junior (the greatest dog actress of all time)

[Bad Santa]

Last night at Cake Shop on Ludlow Street, Rev. Jen put on a benefit to help pay the medical bills for her ailing dog, Rev. Jen Junior. (Anything leftover was to go to Waggytail Rescue.)

So Rev. Jen assembled a group of musicians, comedians, performers — and more — for the benefit. Photographer Walter Wlodarczyk, a friend of EV Grieve (AFOEVG), was there and shared these photos from the evening...


[John S. Hall]


[Angry Bob]


[Even Twice]


[Rev. Jen Junior]


[Master Lee]


[Dusty Santamaria]


[Janeane Garofalo]


[Johnny Bizarre]






[Rev. Jen Junior]

The Cake Shop is celebrating their 10th anniversary on Ludlow; with plans for more years ahead

[Image via the Cake Shop website]

The Cake Shop turned 10 this month... to celebrate, the cafe/live music venue at 152 Ludlow St. between Stanton and Rivington celebrates with what co-owners Nick and Andy Bodor are calling a "house show"-themed lineup of shows, featuring the return of some favorite Cake Shop bands. (Find the schedule here.)

It hasn't always been easy here, with some financial troubles, which they were able to overcome with a crowdfunding campaign in 2012.

In an anniversary feature yesterday at DNAinfo, Lisha Arino reported that the Cake Shop's most recent call for investors in January yielded one unnamed person, who "stepped in and helped Cake Shop to pay back its debts and negotiate a new lease with their landlord, which they hope to sign next month."

Meanwhile, as for the anniversary ...

“We’re just really appreciative to the people who have walked in the door in the last 10 years. Every time somebody compliments us it’s such a rewarding thing,” Nick Bodor said. “It means a lot to us.”

Cake Shop will rock on

Some good news here for fans of Cake Shop... and live music venues... You probably read back in late April that the Ludlow Street cafe-bakery-bar-club was in some financial difficulties ... Anyway, Gothamist reported that the Cake Shop's crowdsourcing fundraiser, which ended today, was a success... As Gothamist noted, "Cake Shop had help from Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and Surfer Blood, who both played secret shows in support."

The Cake Shop is open for now...

Grub Street has an update this morning on Cake Shop, the Ludlow Street cafe-bakery-bar-music-venue that was in danger of shutting down this week. (First reported by Brooklyn Vegan last Friday.)

Co-owner Nick Bodor told Grub Street's Jenny Miller that "several generous individuals" had chipped in with the $10,000 that the space needed to stay open.

However, as Grub Street points out:

Because of some real-estate taxes the landlord is passing on, plus fines and legal fees, Cake Shop needs to come up with almost $50K by June 20, or it could be curtains. "We're looking for an equity partner," Bodor said. "We want to sell a part of the company off to the right partner."

Report: Cake Shop facing eviction on Ludlow Street

[Image via the Cake Shop website]

Word is spreading that Cake Shop — the cafe/record store/bar/music venue — is facing an imminent eviction on Ludlow Street... Brooklyn Vegan had the scoop yesterday... (We read about it at BoweryBoogie.)

Here's a piece of an email making the rounds via the Cake Shop's Andy Bodes:

Calling all millionaires: cake shop needs a month-long returnable bridge loan, due to possibly bogus fines from last year, at their deadline this Monday, or we face eviction. the amount we’re looking for is 10k, to pay off these fines once and for all. we’d need it in the next 72 hours. & reminder this is a short term loan. full explanation provided, with intere$t and perks, if this appeals to you, and you’d like to help us out & continue & grow. thanks. xo.