Plywood arrives for Tompkins Square Bagels build-out on 2nd Avenue

As we've been reporting, Tompkins Square Bagels is opening a second East Village location — this one at 184 Second Ave. between East 11th Street and East 12th Street.

Workers erected the plywood outside the storefront for the renovations yesterday. Owner Christopher Pugliese told us previously that he hopes to be up and running here in December.

Read our interview with Pugliese here.

More about the 2nd branch of Tompkins Square Bagels opening in the East Village

[EVG file photo]

As we first reported, Christopher Pugliese, the owner of the 4-year-old Tompkins Square Bagels on Avenue A, signed a lease for a second East Village location — at 184 Second Ave. between East 11th Street and East 12th Street.

We talked with Pugliese to get a few more details on what to expect at store No. 2.

On a realistic timeline for opening

"The realistic timeline is five months. I'd like to open on the same date that we opened Tompkins Square Bagels in 2011 — Dec. 15."

On the similarities between the two shops

"We are going to replicate the Tompkins Square Bagels space on Avenue A. Same style. The whole assembly line. Everything will be made on the premises. Oven. Kettle. We're going to extend the space into the backyard to make the place bigger."

On a possible name such as Tompkins Square Bagels 2

"All my buddies and people who I get advice from are telling me, 'It has to be Tompkins Square Bagels. It's a brand!' They keep saying 'brand, brand, brand' I don't care so much. [Laughs] I might call it Second Avenue Bagels. I might call it Stella Bagels [for his daughter]. I don't know."

On staying in the East Village

"I feel like I'll be able to plant roots and stay here. I have a daughter who's 5-months-old now. When she is 15, and asks, 'Dad, what do you do for a living?', I want to be able to take her to the store. I'm not going anywhere. I want to be like the guys from Veniero's, Russo's and Bella Tiles. I pass that block on the way to work, and I see those guys like in their 70s. I want that. I want to keep going and work and be part of the neighborhood.

"I get offers. I was offered to go open in the Edge building in Williamsburg … in Grand Central terminal. I said no. I'm not looking to have an empire of stores, like five, six, seven, eight locations. I wanted to be here. I don't want to go there to work. I like it in the East Village — it's where I live. And it's where I'm going to stay."

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The previous tenant here, Open Pantry, the 45-year-old coffee shop/grocery, closed for good at the end of January. Dean Pappas and his family who ran Open Pantry also own the building. ("We negotiated the final details of the lease in his car.") Pugliese says Dean Pappas will have a role in the new bagel shop.

Tompkins Square Bagels opened on Avenue A near East 10th Street in December 2011.

Previously on EV Grieve:
After 40-plus years, Open Pantry looks to be closing on 2nd Avenue

Rumor: Tompkins Square Bagels possibly opening a 2nd East Village location on 2nd Avenue

A 2nd Tompkins Square Bagels confirmed for former Open Pantry space on 2nd Avenue

Tompkins Square Bagels makes it official on 2nd Avenue

Tompkins Square Bagels makes it official on 2nd Avenue

Christopher Pugliese, the owner of Tompkins Square Bagels on Avenue A, has confirmed that he signed a lease for a second East Village location.

As we first reported on April 27, Pugliese had a deal in place to take over the former Open Pantry space at 184 Second Ave. between East 11th Street and East 12th Street. He signed the lease on Friday. We hope to have a few more details later this week.

Open Pantry, the 45-year-old coffee shop/grocery, closed for good at the end of January. The proprietors of Open Pantry also own the building.

Tompkins Square Bagels opened on Avenue A near East 10th Street in December 2011.

Previously on EV Grieve:
After 40-plus years, Open Pantry looks to be closing on 2nd Avenue

Rumor: Tompkins Square Bagels possibly opening a 2nd East Village location on 2nd Avenue

A 2nd Tompkins Square Bagels confirmed for former Open Pantry space on 2nd Avenue

A 2nd Tompkins Square Bagels confirmed for former Open Pantry space on 2nd Avenue

[EVG photo from Jan. 29]

Christopher Pugliese, the owner of Tompkins Square Bagels at 165 Avenue A near East 10th Street, confirmed to us last night that he has a deal in place for a second location at 184 Second Ave.

He will be taking over the space that previously housed Open Pantry, the 45-year-old coffee shop/grocery between East 11th Street and East 12th Street that closed for good at the end of January.

The proprietors of Open Pantry also own the building.

"They specifically made it a point not to bring in a big corporate business," Pugliese told us via email. "They wanted to keep it local."

We'll have more details later about the timing of the opening of the second TSB shop. (Tompkins Square Bagels opened on Avenue A near East 10th Street in December 2011.)

"It's a go," he said. "I am very excited."

Previously on EV Grieve:
After 40-plus years, Open Pantry looks to be closing on 2nd Avenue

Rumor: Tompkins Square Bagels possibly opening a 2nd East Village location on 2nd Avenue

Rumor: Tompkins Square Bagels possibly opening a 2nd East Village location on 2nd Avenue

[EVG photo from January]

Open Pantry, the 45-year-old coffee shop/grocery at 184 Second Ave., closed for good at the end of January. The proprietors, who also own the building here between East 11th Street and East 12th Street, have had the storefront on the rental market these past few months.

Now comes word, via the rumor mill, that Tompkins Square Bagels is looking to open a second East Village shop at this location.

We'll update when/if we hear back from TSB owner Christopher Pugliese.

Tompkins Square Bagels opened on Avenue A near East 10th Street in December 2011.

Previously on EV Grieve:
After 40-plus years, Open Pantry looks to be closing on 2nd Avenue

2nd Avenue mainstay Open Pantry closes for good after tomorrow

[Photo from last night]

The countdown to closure continues at Open Pantry, the 45-year-old coffee shop/grocery at 184 Second Ave. The shop between East 11th Street and East 12th Street closes after business hours tomorrow.

As we first reported on Jan. 8, continued competition from the nearby Starbucks (Second Avenue and East Ninth Street, First Avenue and East 13th Street) as well as the new Westside Market apparently put a damper on sales.

Several readers have said that the proprietors, the Pappas family, also own the building here.

Meanwhile, store items have been marked off up to 40 percent.

And per the sign on the door: "Our family would like to thank the neighborhood and all our customers for their loyalty and continued support throughout the years."

Previously on EV Grieve:
After 40-plus years, Open Pantry looks to be closing on 2nd Avenue

Open Pantry is now selling off its inventory and equipment

Open Pantry is now selling off its inventory and equipment

Last Thursday, we passed along the sad news that Open Pantry was going to close it 45-year-old coffee shop/grocery at 184 Second Ave. in the weeks ahead.



The sign above on the Open Pantry front door explains.

There's now a listing on Craigslist noting that the store is selling its inventory and equipment.

Not much info is featured on the listing (including the name Open Pantry, but the photos all show the familiar interior) ...



Several readers on our previous post said that the proprietors, the Pappas family, also own the building here between East 11th Street and East 12th Street.

Previously on EV Grieve:
After 40-plus years, Open Pantry looks to be closing on 2nd Avenue

After 40-plus years, Open Pantry looks to be closing on 2nd Avenue

A disturbing sign has arrived on the front door of the family owned Open Pantry, the coffee and tea specialists at 184 Second Ave. between East 11th Street and East 12th Street...

"After 40 years of success, The Open Pantry will be closing its doors. Our family would like to thank the neighborhood and all our customers for their loyalty and continued support throughout the years."

A tipster tells us that the closure would likely happen in the next month. While there was a rent increase, we hear that the continued competition from the nearby Starbucks (Second Avenue and East Ninth Street, First Avenue and East 13th Street) as well as the new Westside Market have put a damper on sales.

The sign mentions "we hope that in the future we are able to again serve the community in a capacity more conducive to its changing needs." So perhaps it's possible that the store would restructure, shedding the groceries and focusing on coffee and tea.

In any event, sad news. According to The Open Pantry website, the shop opened in 1970.