East Village Thai has closed

East Village Thai fans were saddened to learn that the small restaurant on Seventh Street between Second Avenue and Cooper Square closed after service on Sunday.

The restaurant's owners first made the announcement on Facebook on Saturday before their last day...



EVG reader Mackenzie, who first brought this to my attention, ate there last Wednesday. The owners made no mention of the impending closure.



Back in 2012, the Daily News said that EVT served some of the best Pad Thai in the city.

The Molecule Project closing next month on 10th Street

After five years at 259 E. 10th St., the Molecule Project, which offers a variety of clean drinking water alternatives, has announced that the shop is closing next month here between Avenue A and First Avenue...



Their aim, per the shop's website:

Our goal at The Molecule Project is to support good health for people and planet by promoting minimal carbon footprint, clean drinking water alternatives.

The Molecule Project offers a new model for drinking water for all, rooted in the use of the industry’s highest-grade residential and commercial water treatment, filtration and purification systems.

H/T Steven!

Zen Yai Pho Shop leaving 6th Street for larger space; new concept TK

The Zen Yai Pho Shop was not open this past weekend... This outpost of the Sunnyside-based Zen Yai Pho Shop & Coffee just opened in April at 518 E. Sixth St. between Avenue A and Avenue B.

In an email, the owners explained that Zen Yai is moving to an (undisclosed) new, larger location ... and they will use the Sixth Street space for a new concept.

That Zen Yai Pho Shop was successful enough to move to a bigger space is good news for this address. Last year the storefront saw the quick arrival and departure of both Baron's Dim Sum and Tasty Garden.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Zen Yai Pho Shop coming to 6th Street

GNC closes location in NYU's Third Avenue North retail space

An EVG reader shared the above photo from this past weekend... showing that the GNC outpost on Third Avenue between 11th Street and 12th Street has closed. (The GNC was located in one of the retail spaces in Third Avenue North, the NYU residence hall.)

Signage from the store is in the dumpster out front (FYI) ...



For now, the G of the GNC remains in place...





The GNC arrived here in the summer of 2014. Before that, 79 Third Ave. sat vacant for nearly four years. The space was previously home to East Hardware. A Yogurt Crazy was slated to open here, but that didn't go so well.

Meanwhile, the GNC outpost on First Avenue at 13th Street is still open...

Dry cleaners where Kim's Video got its start on Avenue A is closing

Today is the last day in business for Sammy's Cleaners at 99 Avenue A between Sixth Street and Seventh Street. (Thanks to EVG reader Paul W. for the photo and tip!)

The sign on the door announcing the closure thanks Sammy's customers for their patronage. Not sure why they are shutting down.

The spot was, until late 2016/early 2017, Kim's Cleaners...


[Google Street View]

Owner Yongman Kim launched his (now-departed) Kim's Video empire from here in 1987 ... before eventually moving the video business a few storefronts to the south to 85 Avenue (now Somtum Der), which enjoyed its reign of terror until the summer of 2004.


[Photo from 1997 by Dave Buchwald]

After nearly 40 years, Foot Gear Plus is closing on 1st Avenue and St. Mark's Place

[Photos by Stacie Joy]

Tony Scifo, who opened Foot Gear Plus at 131 First Ave. and St. Mark's Place in 1980, recently made the difficult decision to close his family-fun business at the end of the month.

EVG contributor Stacie Joy stopped by the store yesterday and spoke with Scifo. Here are excerpts from the conversation...

"The 31st of July is the last day at Foot Gear Plus. I made the decision to close about three months ago. After several years of peaks and valleys in business there were just too many valleys. Companies now sell direct to consumers and once they started offering free shipping it was all over. This is happening everywhere, not just locally.

We offered great merchandise and great service — no gimmicks. But we just can't compete with online.

The landlord wanted us to stay. She offered us a fair price and she's been great. We just couldn't make it.

We're cleaning out merchandise now — everything is 20 percent off with limited stock/sizes. Prices might drop a little bit more before we close for good, but we might not have too much more inventory. Come in now if you need shoes but there's no hard sell. You can save a few dollars.

We have no plans to have an online store and no plans to reopen. After 40 years I want to spend time with my family and see what's next. You know in 40 years I don't think we ever opened even a few minutes late."

Village Kids Footwear, which Tony's sister Linda Scifo-Young operated a few storefronts away, closed late last summer.

Julie's Vintage is closing on 2nd Street

[Photo by Goggla]

The closing signs are up at Julie's Vintage, the eclectic vintage/thrift shop at 84 E. Second St. at First Avenue.

The store is expected to close at the end of the month, with a possible relocation to the Bushwick Market. A store source said high rents are behind the closure. (Thanks to Goggla for the photo and info!)

Julie Erinc, a former designer, opened up shop here during the winter of 2016.

Here's more about the place from a Sideways NYC post:

After one steps into Julie’s Vintage, it does not take long to realize that Julie, the owner, is more of an artist than a retail vendor. Headpieces adorned with recycled flowers and deer antlers, dashing 1920’s style dresses with encrusted jewelry, and incredibly creative Halloween costumes overflow the small space ...

And...

Even more impressively, she uses mostly recycled materials that she has collected in her years spent traveling the world (since the early 1980’s), a time period which includes fourteen years working as a lingerie designer.

Eggloo closes 1 year in on Avenue A

Eggloo has closed at 147 Avenue A between Ninth Street and 10th Street.

The shop, which specializes in Hong Kong egg waffles and ice cream sandwiches, opened on July 1, 2017.

Eggloo management confirmed the closure, and directed fans of their desserts to their original location down on Mulberry Street.



This is a crowded corridor for dessert choices ... nearby options on Avenue A and side streets include Mikey Likes It Ice Cream, Gelarto, Mahalo New York Bakery, Confectionery!, Superiority Burger (they have a variety of sorbet and gelato), Ray's Candy Store, Big Gay Ice Cream, Butter Lane Cupcakes, Becky's Bites ... and on First Avenue between St. Mark's Place and Ninth Street — Stuffed Ice Cream and Davey's Ice Cream.

Yuan Noodle has closed on 2nd Avenue

[Top 2 photos via Chris Rowland]

Yuan Noodle has closed at 157 Second Ave. less than a year after debuting to positive notices here between Ninth Street and 10th Street.

There are two signs on the front window. As of yesterday afternoon, one sign noted that the business was for sale (via Yuan's owner Jacob Ding, who's also a commercial real-estate broker) ... and the other one, upside down, noted a closing sale...



Upon opening last summer, Eater wrote that Yuan "is nothing short of spectacular." The New York Times praised Yuan's signature Guilin mi fen (rice noodles).

In recent weeks, Yuan started looking like a restaurant that was closing, offering 2-for-1 shot deals ...



... and signs for all-night happy hours and $25-all-you-can-drink specials...



Anyway, not sure what happened here. (There isn't any note about the closing on the Yuan website.) This has been a challenging space to make work. Biang! — the sit-down Chinese restaurant via Xi'an Famous Foods owner Jason Wang — closed here back in March 2017 after 15 months in business. The previous tenant, Wylie Dufresne's bistro Alder, closed after two-and-a-half years at the end of August 2015.

As noted before, if Wang and Dufresne, given their successes, couldn't make the space work ... not sure who can. Other recent restaurants here (before 2013) included Plum and Cafe Brama.

In May, applicants from Butter Midtown received CB3's OK to open a Mexican restaurant at No. 157. Given the business-for-sale sign, this deal apparently fell through.

Despite the application on file at the CB3 website, Ding told Eater in May that his restaurant was not closing.

Kambi Ramen House has closed on 14th Street

After 10 years at 351 E. 14th St. near First Avenue, Kambi Ramen House shut down after service this past Thursday.

EVG regular Pinch shared these photos... a sign on the door notes that their lease is up...



Kambi's sister restaurants, Minca Ramen Factory on Fifth Street near Avenue B, and Andante in Brooklyn remain in business.

Rose and Basil has gone out of business

Rose and Basil, the nearly two-year-old cafe, has closed at 104 E. Seventh St. between Avenue A and First Avenue.

There's a sign out front, noting everything must go — plates, glasses, chairs, etc.



We don't know the reason behind the closure at the moment. The Rose and Basil website and Facebook page are no longer active, and their phone has been disconnected.

The cafe, which specialized in homemade desserts, recently added dinner service offering healthy menu items. Rose and Basil was owned by Ioana Holt, who launched the business with her college friend William Wang in July 2016.

Thanks to Steven for the photos

Previously on EV Grieve:
At the grand opening of Rose and Basil

[Updated] The Continental closes this weekend

Updated June 30: Trigger, the owner, posted on Facebook that his lease was extended for three more months... and they will remain open until October.

It's the last hurrah this weekend for The Continental on Third Avenue at St. Mark's Place.

As first noted way back in January, the bar with the six-shots-of-anything-for-$12 deal was closing after service on June 30. (Their sign says July 1. Their website says Saturday, July 1.)

The Continental was a live music venue from its inception in 1991 through the fall of 2006, when they became home of the five-shots-of-anything-for-$10 promotion before that changed to five-shots-of-anything-for-$12 in the spring of 2017. (Then later six shots...)



Last November, Real Estate Equities Corporation made public its plans to demolish the existing low-rise buildings at 3 St. Mark’s Place, 23 and 25-27 Third Ave. to make way for a 7-story office building.

Previously on EV Grieve:
The Continental's 5-shot deal bumped from $10 to $12

The Continental says it will close late next summer

Keeping up with the Kardashianisms

Report: NE corner of St. Mark's Place and 3rd Avenue will yield to a 7-story office building

Demolition permits filed for northeast corner of 3rd Avenue and St. Mark's Place

Korilla BBQ has closed on 3rd Avenue

Korilla BBQ is the latest business to close on the northeast corner of St. Mark's Place at Third Avenue.

They shut down last evening, making the announcement on Instagram...

Thank you #eastvillage for allowing us to open our first brick & mortar here but unfortunately tonight will be our last day as we make way for an office building. It’s been real and hope to see you guys at our other locations! — 📌 Downtown BK - 2 Metrotech Ctr 📌 Midtown East - 672 Lexington (@55-56th) 📌 Urbanspace Vanderbilt - 230 Park — #rip #kimchi #koreanfood #korilla #kbbq #eatbold #eatliveveggies #burrito #lunch #dinner #seasonal #kitchen

A post shared by Korean Seasonal Kitchen 🇰🇷 (@korillabbq) on Jun 27, 2018 at 4:34pm PDT

As the post states, Korilla's other locations will remain open... and their food trucks will stay in circulation.

Korilla opened here in October 2014, taking over the space from the throwback diner Archie & Sons.

Before opening that fall, the building was decked out in a building-high tiger-striped mural (reaction here) ...



Korilla joins the other now-former tenants on this corner to shut down — McDonald's and Papaya King. The Continental closes this weekend. The E Smoke Shop on the corner is moving down the block.

As previously reported, a seven-story, 66,000-square-foot office building with ground-floor retail is slated for this corner. Permits were filed on March 15 to demolish the low-rise buildings here at 3 St. Mark’s Place, 23 and 25-27 Third Avenue.

REEC picked up the 99-year leasehold for the properties for some $150 million, per The Real Deal last November. There still aren't any new building permits filed for the property, owned by the Gabay family.

Previously on EV Grieve:
The Shake Shack effect? McDonald's on 3rd Avenue at St. Mark's Place has closed after 20 years

Report: Northeast corner of St. Mark's Place and 3rd Ave. fetching $50 million for development site

Report: NE corner of St. Mark's Place and 3rd Avenue will yield to a 7-story office building

Demolition permits filed for northeast corner of 3rd Avenue and St. Mark's Place

23 Third Ave. getting its stripes

9th Street's Zucker Bakery closing on Sunday after 7 years in business

Owner Zohar Zohar has announced that Zucker Bakery on Ninth Street between Avenue A and First Avenue is closing its doors on Sunday after nearly seven years in business.

Here's the message on the Zucker website:

Dear all, to continue our journey, explore and expand, we have decided to close our family bakery after seven amazing years. We are grateful for all the love, the support and the experiences that we shared with all of you.

The Mediterranean- and Eastern European-inspired bakery opened in September 2011, and quickly found a loyal following using ingredients such as dates, cardamom and cloves for its cookies and pastries.

The Times once noted that their cookies "make you feel like you have left New York, incorporating flavors and spices that hint of other lands: date cookies spiced with cinnamon, dulce de leche-filled alfajores with coconut..."

Zohar, an East Village resident, worked in high-end kitchens such as Daniel and Bouley before taking time off to raise her family. Zucker was her first business.

Wax off: Mr. Moustache has closed on 14th Street

Mr. Moustache has closed its (his?) doors here on 14th Street between Second Avenue and Third Avenue.

The cafe sold coffee, teas and desserts, opening in the spring of 2016.

The space was home for years to Russian Souvenirs, which closed in July 2015 following a rent increase.

And I wonder where that Russian Souvenirs sign is now?

Thanks to Pinch for the photo and tip!

Previously on EV Grieve:
Wax on: Mr. Moustache Coffee Shop signage arrives on East 14th Street

The former Russian Souvenirs will become a coffee shop on East 14th Store

Cherche Midi makes closing official

It’s been an amazing four years. Come join us for one final toast this weekend, we will remain open through this Sunday, June 10th.

A post shared by Cherche Midi (@cherchemidi_nyc) on Jun 8, 2018 at 4:05pm PDT

Cherche Midi, Keith McNally's French brasserie on the southwest corner of the Bowery and Houston, has officially announced — via Instagram — that it will close after service tomorrow.

Until now, it was a foregone conclusion that they'd be shutting down after four years in business. In March, Patch reported on a state filing announcing that the restaurant would be laying off its 46 employees on June 11.

A rep for Cherche Midi later confirmed a summer close to Grub Street, though didn't provide an exact date.

And as first reported in April, a listing for the space arrived at RKF...


[Image via RKF]

However, this listing has since been removed. (Leased?)

McNally, who also runs the Odeon, Balthazar, Minetta Tavern and Augustine in the Beekman Hotel, opened Cherche Midi in the summer of 2014 ... taking the place of his Pulino's Bar and Pizzeria, which apparently helped triple the rents of its neighbors.

In other Bowery closings, Hecho en Dumbo ends its eight-year run at 354 Bowery after service this evening.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Report: Cherche Midi looks to be closing on the Bowery

Cherche Midi space on the market for new retail development on the Bowery at East Houston

Hecho en Dumbo is closing after 8 years on the Bowery

The owners of the Mexican restaurant at 354 Bowery between Great Jones and Fourth Street announced their upcoming closure last night.

Here's part of their message:

Hecho en Dumbo will be closing its doors for good next Saturday night, June 9th, after over 8 years on the Bowery.

We are thrilled that since our humble start as a pop-up in DUMBO over a decade ago, Mexican cuisine continues to evolve and flourish in our city and it has been a privilege to be a part of it.

Hecho en Dumbo arrived here in March 2010, taking over the space that previously housed Marion's Continental.

No. 354 has been on the rental/sales market this past year via several different brokers.

H/T EVG reader Erin!

Inkstop Tattoo closing later this summer after 21 years on Avenue A and 13th Street

Eric Rignall, the owner of Inkstop Tattoo on Avenue A at 13th Street, recently announced via Instagram that the shop was closing by Aug. 1 after 21 years in business on this corner.

However, he will continue working by appointment only from a new space in Queens.

I asked Rignall more about the situation. I wondered if the six new luxury residential buildings that have either opened or are in the process of welcoming tenants within a two-block radius, including Steiner East Village and Extell's EVGB, played a role in the move.

For starters, he said that the Ink Stop landlord has been fair with him "but market value for rent in the neighborhood is a bit too high in general to stay on top of things," he said. "Also, it is true that the new changes to the neighborhood in the last few years have dramatically reduced business in the area. A lot of people have moved out and there is not as much foot traffic as there was."


[Photo of Rignall from January by James Maher]

Rignall lives in Queens, and working closer to home "with a much lower overhead is the right choice for me to make."

Meanwhile, the corner space is now on the market. The listing notes that it's a "perfect space for office or retail. No cooking. Microwave is allowed."

Read our interview with Ringall from January 2017 here.

Suffolk Arms signage stripped away; Suffolk Arms V2 on the way?

Suffolk Arms, the cocktail lounge on Houston at Suffolk, went dark in early April, as first reported here.

Neat Pour reported on April 9 that Suffolk Arms "would reopen at a later date with a new concept, but the same staff." Neat Pour also said that co-owners Ruben Rodriguez and Giuseppe González are "at odds with one another."

By April 16, there was a sign on the front door noting a temporary closure for "renovation and mechanical upgrades." A week later, González, a "Star Wars" fan, left a cryptic, Yoda-esque message on social media: "Closed, Suffolk Arms now is. See you again, we will."

The Suffolk Arms sign was removed from the corner space last week. The bar's website now features this message: "Suffolk Arms V2.0 Coming Soon."

No idea if this will be from Team González or Team Rodriguez.

Meanwhile, the "renovation and mechanical upgrades" sign remains on the door...



The upscale bar, lined with portraits of famous New Yorkers, opened in February 2016.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Suffolk Arms now closed for renovations and 'mechanical upgrades'

The force is apparently no longer with Suffolk Arms

Cafe Zaiya has closed on Cooper Square

The DOH closed Cafe Zaiya at 69 Cooper Square following an inspection on April 30.

The Japanese bakery-cafe that opened here in 2008 between St. Mark's Place and Seventh Street has remained closed since the DOH visit. And it appears that the cafe won't be returning. Workers cleaned out the space yesterday, and the location is no longer listed on the Cafe Zaiya website. (The other two locations are in Midtown.)

As for the DOH, the inspection turned up 73 violation points, including for "Insufficient or no refrigerated or hot holding equipment to keep potentially hazardous foods at required temperatures" and "Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service."

This location had passed all previous inspections, with only four violation points in 2017.