Have you tried the Gnocco-Cafe Pick Me Up combo?

Café Pick Me Up on Avenue A at East Ninth Street closed for good after service on May 31.

The owners added the cafe portion to the other restaurant they operate, Gnocco at 337 E. 10th St. just west of Avenue B.

The combined Gnocco-Cafe Pick Me Up opened for service last Wednesday. They're serving coffee, pastries and lunch items starting at 9 a.m. before Gnocco's menu kicks in for the evening hours.

So far we've heard positive comments from readers about the space.

"I think this will be a nice addition for this block," said one EVG regular, who noted that some familiar faces from Cafe Pick Me Up are working here.

A rent hike forced Cafe Pick Me Up from its 20-year home at 145 Avenue A, which is on the market for $15,000 a month via Icon Realty …



The owners still have five years left on the lease in the adjacent space at 147 Avenue A. Co-owner Gian Luca Giovanetti told DNAinfo that they were unsure what will become of this storefront.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Rent hike forcing Cafe Pick Me Up into its smaller space next door on Avenue A (59 comments)

[Updated] Cafe Pick Me Up expected to close for good after May 31

Café Pick Me Up closes Sunday night ahead of a move to share the Gnocco space on East 10th Street

More about the new Café Pick Me Up-Gnocco combo on East 10th Street

More about the new Café Pick Me Up-Gnocco combo on East 10th Street

As we previously noted, Café Pick Me Up on Avenue A at East Ninth Street will close for good after service on Sunday.

The owners also operate Gnocco, and plan to move the cafe to that restaurant at 337 E. 10th St. just west of Avenue B next week.

DNAinfo's Lisha Arino has a few more details on how all this will work.

Gnocco has only been open for dinner, but beginning June 3, it will expand its hours and will start serving most of Café Pick Me Up’s coffee and food offerings, including pastries, sandwiches and omelets, said Gian Luca Giovanetti, who co-owns both locations with Pierluigi Palazzo and Clemente Valguarnera.

Daytime customers will also be able to order pizza at lunchtime, Giovenetti added. Gnocco will be open for breakfast, lunch and delivery every day starting at 10 a.m., he said.

Gnocco seats 74 people, he said, and includes a backyard outfitted with a few power outlets.

The Café Pick Me Up-Gnocco mashup is expected to open Wednesday, where you can get a free coffee starting at 10 a.m.

Café Pick Me Up's owners have said that a rent hike at 145 Avenue A courtesy of Icon Realty as well as higher property taxes led to the decision to close the 20-year-old space.

Icon is currently listing the storefront… asking $15,000 a month for the space, which includes 600 square feet on the ground floor and 724 square feet in the basement.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Rent hike forcing Cafe Pick Me Up into its smaller space next door on Avenue A (59 comments)

[Updated] Cafe Pick Me Up expected to close for good after May 31

Café Pick Me Up closes Sunday night ahead of a move to share the Gnocco space on East 10th Street

Café Pick Me Up closes Sunday night ahead of a move to share the Gnocco space on East 10th Street

[EVG file photo]

As previously reported, the 20-year-old Café Pick Me Up on Avenue A at East Ninth Street will close for good after service on Sunday.

However, they won't be going too far. Café Pick Me's Facebook page has more details on the move to East 10th Street between Avenue A and Avenue B:

It is with great regret and sadness that we have to close this location of Café Pick Me Up due to a forced closure. It has been such a beautiful experience and pleasure to serve this neighborhood and our friends for so many years.

Luckily, we are able to move our operation to GNOCCO at 337 East 10th Street. We know this won’t be able to replace the memories and location of the original Café Pick Me Up, but we think this will at least partially fill the vacuum of a chapter that lasted so many years.

CAFÉ PICK ME UP WILL OFFICIALLY CLOSE MAY 31ST AT 10PM.

The first Monday in June will begin the week-long auction of the historical content in the café (including sale of all objects, furniture, and tables).

You are all invited to the opening at GNOCCO on June 3rd with free coffee for all starting at 10AM and served till 4pm.

Thank you all for your business over the years and see you soon at GNOCCO!

PS: Stay tuned for the next venture at 147 Avenue A.

¬-The Café Pick Me Up Team

Café Pick Me Up is currently housed at 145 and 147 Avenue A, and they have two different landlords.


[Image via Facebook]

Café manager Rossella Palazzo told DNAinfo in March that a rent hike from No. 145 landlord Icon Realty is the reason for the closure. (Icon is currently listing the storefront… asking $15,000 a month for the space, which includes 600 square feet on the ground floor and 724 square feet in the basement.)

The Cafe rents the smaller storefront next door at 147 Avenue A for use as a dining room from landlord Steve Croman of 9300 Realty. From the sound of the Facebook message, Café Pick Me Up has plans for the 147 space.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Rent hike forcing Cafe Pick Me Up into its smaller space next door on Avenue A (59 comments)

[Updated] Cafe Pick Me Up expected to close for good after May 31