Mudspot Café opening at the First Park kiosk next month

Looks like the Mudtruck will have another sibling in the family.

Back in July, S'MAC decided to discontinue its service at the First Avenue kiosk. At the time, Caesar Ekya, who owns and operates S'MAC with his wife Sarita, said that they were hoping to find another vendor to assign the lease to here off of East Houston and East First Street.

And they have: Mudspot Café will soon be operating from this location.

"Yes, it's happening," Mudspot General Manager Yasmina Palumbo confirmed to us via email. "[We're] hoping to open sometime in November."

Ekya said that sales at First Park were sluggish, and that they needed to focus on their original location on East 12th Street and new branch in Murray Hill. He had said finding another vendor for First Park was preferable to turning the lease back over to the city, which would then open up a potentially lengthy bidding process.

"It would have been in everyone's best interest if we assigned the lease instead of giving it back to the city," Ekya said."And Mud was the best fit for that location."

S'MAC opened the satellite location here in January 2012. Prior to this, Veselka had the space for five years until June 2011. Mudspot's original location on East Ninth Street will remain.

Previously on EV Grieve:
More about S'MAC's decision to leave First Park

S'MAC has closed its kiosk in First Park

[January 2012]

S'MAC opened a satellite location in the First Avenue/Houston kiosk back in January 2012.

However, as of July 5, S'MAC has vacated the premises. Here's their official word:

Dear Customers and Neighbors,

The First Park location of S’MAC is now closed. We are sad to see it go and enjoyed our time there but we can still satisfy your mac & cheese cravings at our two other locations that are going strong!

East Village
345 East 12th Street (btw 1st and 2nd Ave)

Murray Hill
157 East 33rd Street (btw 3rd Ave and Lexington)

Thanks so much for your patronage over the past 1.5 years!

The S'MAC Team

S'MAC took over for Veselka at the First Avenue/Houston kiosk.

Meanwhile, a reader has already noted the following in the Park:

With S'Mac closed, the part of First Park that housed it — along with all the benches where regular people hung out — is now chained shut. I hope this isn't going to last until a new business takes over — it's a PARK & should be a public space!

Oh: S'MAC now open at First Park

Last June, news broke, via DNAinfo, that S'MAC was taking over for Veselka at the First Avenue/Houston kiosk.

In July, we asked Sarita Ekya, who runs the popular East 12th Street macaroniship with her husband Caesar, when they might open. At the time they were aiming for a fall opening...

Hey, anyway. Only yesterday did we notice that they are up and running here... The S'MAC Facebook page notes that they opened on Dec. 20. Currently just serving the cheese from noon to five, but extended hours are coming soon...

S'MAC planning on an early fall opening at the First Avenue/Houston kiosk

We first heard that S'MAC will be taking over for Veselka at the First Avenue/Houston kiosk back on June 4, as reported by Patrick Hedlund at DNAinfo.

Little Veselka cleared out as expected at the end of June.

So when will S'MAC take over the space? We asked Sarita Ekya, who runs the popular East 12th Street macaroniship with her husband Caesar.

"We just finalized our agreement and picked up keys for the space," she said. "There is work to be done before we open so it looks like early fall at this point."

So, will there be S'MAC samplers for breakfast? Or where there be more traditional items for sale at that hour?

"We plan on being open the morning hours for coffee, pastries and the like," she said.

Previously.

Just a few more hours left for Veselka at the First Avenue/Houston kiosk

Matt Duckor at The Feast reports this morning that Veselka closes today at noon at the First Avenue/Houston kiosk. They'll be vacating the space to make way for S'MAC. Meanwhile, Veselka Bowery is expected to open in the next year or two.

[Photo by Matt Duckor]

S'MAC taking over for Veselka at the First Avenue/Houston kiosk

An outpost of macaroni-and-cheesers S'MAC is replacing Veselka in the First Avenue/Houston kiosk, Patrick Hedlund reports this morning at DNAinfo.

Veselka, which will vacate at the end of June, has manned this space the last five years. The city’s Parks Department put out a request for proposals in January for a new food vendor, Crain's reported.

Previously.