Openings! Desi Stop on 2nd Avenue

Some good opening news... Desi Stop has debuted at 75 Second Ave. between Fourth Street and Fifth Street. (Thanks to EVG reader Garth for the photo and tip!)

The deli, serving homemade Indian food, tea, coffee and snacks, is open daily for now from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.
 

For months it looked as if the quick-serve shop would never make it to an opening date.

Here's a recap from an EVG post from April...

Last August, Gurjaipal Singh and his partners took possession of the storefront at 75 Second Ave. 

They aimed to open Desi Stop in the fall. 

As of mid-April, Desi Stop remains in limbo, and Singh says he's gone bankrupt waiting for the city to OK the address to open and start serving food. 

"Unfortunately, after six months and spending thousands of dollars and meeting with all requirements of city departments, we are still waiting for clearance to open up," he said in a text message. "Slow working of city departments is killing small businesses like us even before they can open." 

The problems started in November 2021 when the Department of Buildings conducted the gas inspection. According to Singh, DOB officials said that they could not find any records in their database for the space after 1999. The DOB could not then approve the inspection. (It's not clear how the previous restaurants at the address, Nostro Ristorante and ZaabVer Thai, among others, were able to open.) 

So Singh said that they started from scratch with the DOB, which included getting clearance from the Landmarks Preservation Commission (the building is within the East Village/Lower East Side Historic District), submitting new drawings and applying for new permits. 

Singh also hired a fire suppression company. There was an initial delay by the company and then with the FDNY, Singh said. The certificate of approval remains in the review process. 

Anyway, all that is behind Singh and his partners, and they look forward to serving the neighborhood "after a lot of struggle." 

Owner: City's bureaucratic red tape forces business to close before even opening

Last August, Gurjaipal Singh and his partners took possession of a storefront at 75 Second Ave. between Fourth Street and Fifth Street. 

They aimed to open Desi Stop, a deli serving Indian food, tea, coffee and snacks, in the fall. 

As of mid-April, Desi Stop remains in limbo, and Singh says he's gone bankrupt waiting for the city to OK the address to open and start serving food. 

"Unfortunately, after six months and spending thousands of dollars and meeting with all requirements of city departments, we are still waiting for clearance to open up," he said in a text message. "Slow working of city departments is killing small businesses like us even before they can open." 

The problems started in November when the Department of Buildings conducted the gas inspection. According to Singh, DOB officials said that they could not find any records in their database for the space after 1999. The DOB could not then approve the inspection. (It's not clear how the previous restaurants at the address, Nostro Ristorante and ZaabVer Thai, among others, were able to open.) 

So Singh said that they started from scratch with the DOB, which included getting clearance from the Landmarks Preservation Commission (the building is within the East Village/Lower East Side Historic District), submitting new drawings and applying for new permits. 

Singh also hired a fire suppression company. There was an initial delay by the company and then with the FDNY, Singh said. The certificate of approval remains in the review process. 

"They open the file only once in four to six weeks. Ask for the requirements, then again another six weeks of waiting," Singh said. "We have made all the investments. But now, we have reached our limits. It's a small-business startup, and we can't pay bills from our own pockets for months. And now it looks like we have to close it even before opening this business." 

Desi Stop's most recent, and perhaps last, Facebook post reads:

Going Bankrupt.  It's very unfortunate to share that we are going out of business without opening the business. Slow and unresponsive behavior of different city departments killed this small business.

Desi Stop Deli signage arrives on 2nd Avenue

Two weeks ago, we mentioned that a new Indian restaurant called Desi Stop was coming to 75 Second Ave. between Fourth Street and Fifth Street. 

The signage is now up... and it's actually going by Desi Stop Deli...

Signage points to a 100-percent vegetarian establishment... though we don't know if this will be a quick-serve place (as the Deli name implies) or a restaurant with a dining room. Or maybe both! We should find out quickly enough with the promise of an "opening soon" sign on the door. 

Desi Stop takes over for Nostro Ristorante, which debuted in October 2019. The Italian restaurant reopened briefly late in the spring of 2020 for pandemic-era takeout and delivery but closed soon after.

Thanks to Steven for the photos! 

New Indian restaurant in the works for this stretch of 2nd Avenue

An Indian restaurant called Desi Stop is coming to 75 Second Ave. between Fourth Street and Fifth Street. (Thanks to Steven for the photo and tip!)

This info is according to the workers who are currently renovating the space. We don't know anything just yet about the owners behind the new place.

Desi Stop takes over for Nostro Ristorante, which debuted in October 2019. The Italian restaurant reopened briefly late in the spring of 2020 for pandemic-era takeout and delivery but closed soon after. 

The west side of Second Avenue between Fourth Street and Sixth Street has been hard-hit with closures... aside from Nostro, Atlas Cafe ... Thailand Cafe ... and Hou Yi Hot Pot/Spicy Noodle Hot Pot all closed last year. And Calexico at 99 Second Ave. remains "temporarily closed."