Photo by Stacie Joy
After 15 months in business, Dora's Restaurant has closed at 40 Avenue B between Third Street and Fourth Street.
The restaurant serving Peruvian cuisine (operated by siblings Dora and Oskar Morales) was recently denied a full liquor license by Community Board 3.
According to the minutes of last month's CB3 meeting, there were 24 commercial 311 complaints for the restaurant, with seven requiring NYPD action. In addition, CB3 noted that they broke their signed stipulations and kept their windows open past 10 p.m. with DJs as entertainment. The minutes also show that there were allegations that they were serving liquor without a permit.
Residents also said that the previous tenant at the address, El Carnaval, was a problem neighbor. El Carnaval was accused of serving liquor without a license in the summer of 2021. There's a video from the meeting here. (El Carnaval was first up.)
We heard from multiple neighbors who complained about blaring music via DJs outside the quick-serve spot in the summer of 2020 — when restaurants expanded to sidewalk and curbside spaces.
Dora continued the tradition after taking over from El Carnaval, which shuttered in the summer of 2022.
Fonda, the previous tenant at 40 Avenue B, closed during the pandemic. For eight years, Fonda stopped the revolving door of restaurants to come and go here. (Octavia's Porch, anyone?)
