St. Dymphna's is closing this weekend after 24 years on St. Mark's Place

A reliable EVG tipster said that St. Dymphna's, a neighborhood hangout at 118 St. Mark's Place between Avenue A and First Avenue, would close after service this Saturday, Oct. 20.

We did receive official confirmation on the closure. We reached out to the owners for more information on the decision to close St. Dymphna's, a favorite local spot known for its perfectly poured pints of Guinness and traditional Irish breakfast.

The pub, named for the patron saint of the mentally ill, opened in 1994.

The owners, Eric Baker and sisters Patricia and Raquel Sanguedo (Baker and Patricia Sanguedo are married), also opened Taberna 97 on St. Mark's Place in December 2016. That space is currently used for special events. (Patricia and Raquel also operate Noz Catering.)

In 2017, Conor Oberst had a song titled "Till St. Dymphna Kicks Us Out" on his Salutations album. The video was filmed at the bar... seems like a nice way to end this post...



Meanwhile, the St. Dymphna's Instagram account is now posting photos with #rememberingstdymphnas.

[Updated] Lumos Kitchen now appears to be closed for good

As mentioned last Tuesday, Lumos Kitchen, 188 Second Ave. at 12th Street, hasn't been open in recent months. A sign on the door since early August notes a temporary closure and the words "gas meter."

On Saturday afternoon, EVG reader Harry Weiner spotted workers removing the contents of the restaurant, which is now mostly empty...



There is a Stop Work Order order for the address dating to late July for "gas work done without a permit" in the kitchen of the restaurant.

To date there isn't any mention of a closure on the Lumos website or social media properties.

The restaurant, serving a menu of French- and Chinese-influenced cuisine, opened in early April. An EVG reader who lives nearby estimates that Lumos has not been open since the end of July.

If this is permanent, then this marks the fourth restaurant — joining Hot Pot Central, DumplingGuo and Dumpling Go — to close here since March 2015.

Updated 10/19

The Marshal came calling yesterday.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Lumos Kitchen remains closed

Dojo looks to have closed for good

It looks like Dojo has called it quits here on West Fourth Street and Mercer.

As I reported last month, the Department of Health closed the restaurant following an inspection on Sept. 13. (You can read the previous post here.) The inspection turned up 62 violation points, which appeared to be correctable items before any follow-up visit.

However, Dojo has sat empty with the yellow DOH sticked affixed to the front door these past four weeks.

Now, workers have removed everything that wasn't bolted down in the dining room...



... and the bar is packed up...



Yelp and Google both list the restaurant as closed.

Attempts to reach anyone at Dojo (via email, Facebook Messenger and the phone) were unsuccessful.

Perhaps there is some renovation afoot. There were rumors in 2013 that this place had closed, though there were renovation signs for customers then.

Dojo began in the East Village... first with the Ice Cream Connection on St. Mark's Place between Second Avenue and Third Avenue in March 1970. Tony Yoshida's Japanese-inspired vegetarian cuisine came along in 1974. And via the Dojo website:

In 1982, Dojo took over the space next door and expanded even more. Then in 1991, Dojo in the West Village was created – both Dojo East and Dojo West were favorite local gems. Unfortunately in 2007, Dojo East was closed down due to high rent. BUT Dojo West is still going strong!

Previously on EV Grieve:
Concern for Dojo, which has now been closed for 2 weeks

The Vitamin Shoppe on 14th Street and 1st Avenue is closing

The closing signage is up on the southwest corner of 14th Street and First Avenue ... where the Vitamin Shoppe outpost will vacate the space on Nov. 17 ...



The listing for the space doesn't include the asking rent.

Nor sure why this location, which arrived in January 2009, is closing. (Leaving ahead of the L Train Apocalypse?)

This past summer, The Motley Fool listed the Vitamin Shoppe as a brand that may not make it through 2018:

Its sales tumbled for six straight quarters, and analysts expect it to post a 5 percent sales decline and a net loss for the full year. Vitamin Shoppe’s stock tumbled more than 80 percent over the past three years.

Its ongoing store closures might soften the impact on its margins, but it also weakens its brand presence against GNC. There are persistent rumors about GNC merging with Vitamin Shoppe, but combining two losers won’t make a winner ...

The Vitamin Shoppes on Broadway at Astor Place and Union Square East will remain in business.

Liquiteria closing 2nd Avenue outpost after 22 years in business

EVG reader Kiki shares this photo and tip — the Liquiteria on Second Avenue and 11th Street is closing after service on Friday.

No reason was cited for the closure — just a thanks to Liquiteria's customers and neighbors.

Doug Green started Liquiteria here in 1996, long before the juice/smoothie craze took hold. Green sold the business several years ago to a group of investors who then opened three more outposts. Those nearby locations at 13th Street and Fourth Avenue and Sixth Avenue at Eighth Street will remain in business.

Handsome Dan's has closed on 1st Avenue

Last week, a 50-percent-off sale sign arrived outside Handsome Dan's Snocone & Candy Stand on First Avenue between 11th Street and 12th Street.

This was positioned as a moving sale to an EVG reader.

On Sunday, however, a "going out of business" sale sign appeared...



Everything was for sale — tables, art work, pillows, Tupperware. Sunday was to be their last day in business. There isn't any mention of a closure or move on the Handsome Dan's website or social-media properties. (Updated: Owner Daniel Levin confirmed the closure in a Facebook message.)

This outpost of the Williamsburg-based shop selling old-time candy and vintage sodas opened here in the spring of 2014. Last fall, the shop added a cafe serving breakfast burritos, wraps and other items to expand their offerings.

Before Handsome Dan's, the retail space housed A-1 Music for 26 years until January 2014.

Thanks to Lola Sáenz for the photos!

Goodbye to Cucina Di Pesce

In case you missed the post from Friday afternoon... Cucina di Pesce, the unpretentious seafood-focused Italian restaurant on Fourth Street between Second Avenue and the Bowery, closed after service last evening.

Cucina Di Pesce had been open for 32 years, though the building was recently sold and the rent was increased.

This is how New York magazine described the place:

Cucina di Pesce is the type of unpretentious, comfortably lived-in Italian restaurant that ruled New York before Mario Batali and his ilk turned the town upside-down. But if Cucina's ambience feels a bit dated, its flavors are absolutely contemporary. This is one of the best places in the city to get good Italian food on a budget.

There were a lot of reader comments about this closure spread out over this site, Instagram and Facebook.

A quick sampling:

That neon sign, two blocks away from their window, was a nighttime touchstone for my kids when they were little. Fish!

And...

Very sad. This was one of the first restaurants I discovered when I moved to NYC 30 years ago.

And...

When it opened we little babies thought it the most expensive restaurant in the world. And that it was going to ruin the neighborhood! Then we discovered the free happy hour mussels and pasta. Kept many of us alive for most of the 90s. Very sad.

After 32 years on 4th Street, Cucina di Pesce will close after service on Sunday

We've heard rumors in recent weeks that Cucina di Pesce, the unpretentious seafood-focused Italian restaurant on Fourth Street between Second Avenue and the Bowery, would be closing this month.

The owners made the official announcement today on Facebook:

It is with great regret that Cucina di Pesce will be closing its doors.

We would like to thank all of our customers for their support. It has been an honor to be part of the East Village community for the last 32 years, as we continue to keep close the memories and friendships established here.

A special acknowledgement to all our current and previous employees, as well as our friends at New York Theatre Workshop.

Our final day is this Sunday, September 23.

As we understand it, the building has a new owner, and there is a rent increase. (Public records show that an LLC bought the property for $6.8 million in a closing last month.)

Owner Mehenni Zebentout, who also has Nomad around the corner on Second Avenue, consolidated Cucina di Pesce — which was at 87-89 Fourth St. — in 2016 after the landlord next door asked $8,000 for the space.

Tuck Shop is closing after 13 years on 1st Street

[Photo of Niall Grant from 2016 by James Maher]

Niall Grant, the owner of Tuck Shop on First Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue, told me last evening that he is closing the business here at the end of service next Tuesday, Sept. 25 after 13 years selling Australian meat and vegetable pies on the block.

The other two Tuck Shop locations, in Chelsea Market and Urbanspace, will shut down by the end of the month.

Here's part of an email that Grant shared:

All the usual reasons can be cited but rising costs in general are behind this difficult decision. After 13 years in business I am tired of the struggle to keep a small business afloat in NYC.

My chief concern is finding jobs for my excellent kitchen team who have been with me for many many years including our head chef Pedro who has been with Tuck Shop since the very start, sous chef Juan (9 years) and prep cook Andras (7 years). They're a wonderful team so if anybody out there has a job for any of them please email tuckshopfirststreet@gmail.com.

I'd also like to thank all the folks who have worked for Tuck Shop over the years. I've made some lifelong friends and had lots of laughs with the staff. I wish you all well in your endeavors.

Finally I'd like to thank all the customers and regulars who supported Tuck Shop since 2005. I really appreciate what you've all done for me and my staff. You've allowed us to prosper, fed our families and paid our rents. We really appreciate it. Please come by the stores and say goodbye as we will miss you all greatly.

Thanks again,
Niall and the whole Tuck Shop family!

Here's part of our Out and About feature with Grant from February 2016:

I love this street. After 11 years here, I know everybody’s face. There are still a lot of the same old faces. All these guys hang out in front of the place. Some have been here for maybe 30 years. You see people grow up. It’s great to be part of a community like that. It’s nice seeing the whole family grow up upstairs.

Cholo Noir space now for rent on 6th Street

A for rent sign now hangs in the window at 503 E. Sixth St., which apparently brings an end to Cholo Noir's 13-month run here between Avenue A and Avenue B.

The Chicano-inspired bar-restaurant had been closed since Aug. 19, with handwritten notes indicating the trusty "closed for renovations."

There's isn't any mention of a closure on Cholo Noir's website or social media properties.

As previously reported, CB3 twice denied a liquor license for the proprietors in 2016 ... among other reasons, there are 20-plus full on-premises liquor licenses within 500 feet of the address. CB3 members also didn't see much public benefit from the concept on a mostly residential block in a nightlife-saturated neighborhood.

Given the amount of work that they already put into the space, ownership went to the State Liquor Authority for a license. As DNAinfo reported in February 2017:

[T]he owners remain positive the eatery will be a good presence in the neighborhood, claiming Cholo Noir will be centered around the food, with cocktails to complement the menu.

“Most people don’t go into a Mexican restaurant and say, ‘Let’s go get wasted,’ but people do go for good Mexican food and they like to have something to complement it,” said Paul Le Mos, who plans to run the restaurant alongside Lennard Camarillo, former operator of West Village eatery Florencia 13.

The proprietors don't want to bring another noisy bar to the neighborhood, he said, but want to serve the community with great food and culture.

To the contrary, a few nearby neighbors felt as if they were, in fact, a drinks-first establishment ... offering all-you-can-drink brunch specials... and other happy hour deals ...

Happy Mother’s Day to all mothers out there. Come celebrate @cholonoir with a special #brunch menu. #eastvillage

A post shared by CholoNoir (@cholonoir) on May 13, 2018 at 11:16am PDT

In 2014, the owners received $15,000 by winning the New York Public Library’s New York StartUP! Business Plan Competition.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Another no for Cholo Noir

'Low and Slow' on 6th and A

Last weekend for Matcha Cafe Wabi on 4th Street

[Photo via Instagram]

Matcha Cafe Wabi will close tomorrow after nearly three years at 233 E. Fourth St. near Avenue B.

The owners announced the news on Instagram:

We thank each and every one of you for the wonderful memories and the the chance to make the best matcha for you. It was truly an honor! Thank you for making Wabi your go-to place. I hope one day soon, we will have the opportunity to open up a new place, with the same name and to make sure, there are plenty of tables and chairs 😂. Stay healthy, safe and happy, all! ❤️

The small shop, serving matcha lattes, sencha tea and other Japanese-style drinks and pastries, opened in December 2014. It's owned by the folks at Pirka Salon next door.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Matcha Cafe Wabi now open on East 4th Street

Open house Sunday at the all-new Matcha Cafe Wabi

Gotham Pizza looks closed

Several readers in recent days have noted that Gotham Pizza has not been open during its usual business hours ... with the space cleaned out here on 12th Street at Third Avenue, as these photos by EVG reader Laura K. show (and H/T @JCooper911!) ...



Gotham's phone is still in service, though there isn't any answer. The various online delivery services note that this Gotham location isn't currently taking any orders.

The pizzeria, part of a mini chain, opened here in August 2016.

Their slices were serviceable though nothing spectacular... and why bother with the excellent slices at Joe's beckoning around the corner on 14th Street. And telling — despite the proximity to five dorms (four NYU and one New School), Gotham Pizza never seemed all that busy.

The corner space last served up the FroYo via Funkiberry. There were more slices before this with AAA (New) Amici Pizza.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Funkiberry-replacing pizzeria revealed on 3rd Avenue

Hey, the Funkiberry closed on 3rd Avenue

Hey, the Funkiberry space is for lease on 3rd Avenue

Hey, Funkiberry is now open on 3rd Avenue

Hey, the Funkiberry sign is up on 3rd Avenue

Flinders Lane closes Sunday after 5 years on Avenue A

[Image via Instagram]

After five-plus years at 162 Avenue A, Flinders Lane is shutting down following service on Sunday.

The owners, who hail from Melbourne, Australia, shared the closing message earlier this month on Facebook:

It’s with a heavy heart after much thought and consideration we feel the time has come to close the doors to our New York location.

We’d like to take this opportunity to thank everyone involved our over the past 5 years bringing life to this little space in the East Village day after day creating memories we’ll never forget — the incredible guests, our beloved regulars, the friends we made, the laughs shared and of course all the amazing staff. Without you none of his would have been possible. You truly are rockstars 🙏❤️

Our last service will be Sunday August 26 and we’d love to see you in to raise a glass one last time.

Thanks for the memories NYC

The Australian restaurant drew praise in the Hungry City column at the Times upon opening.

The Flinders Lane location in Stamford, Conn., will remain open.

The space between 10th Street and 11th Street was previously The Beagle ... and the Italian restaurant Orologio before that.

The Dessert Kitchen space is for rent on St. Mark's Place

A for rent banner recently arrived on the front window of The Dessert Kitchen at 94 St. Mark's Place between Avenue A and First Avenue.

The shop, which relocated here last fall, is still in business, serving its variety of "homemade Asian-fusion-styled desserts from Hong Kong, Taiwan and Japan."

The listing notes that possession can be arranged with notice of 30 to 60 days. Other listing comments include: "All uses considered" ... "Can be vented for cooking" ... and, obviously — "Motivated landlord."

The rent is available upon request.

Nobody Is Perfect has closed

Nobody Is Perfect closed its doors for good in late July here on Fourth Street near Avenue B.

"The gas in the entire building, including the apartments and the restaurant next to us, has been shut down for six months," proprietor Mario Carta explained in an email. "We were unable to provide a decent menu to our customers during that period of time and that affected our business knowing that we were open for less than a year trying to build a clientele in the neighborhood."

Carta, who also runs Pardon My French at 103 Avenue B and Chouchou at 215 E. Fourth St., opened the Italian restaurant in the spring of 2017.

He also noted that the Community Board 3 denied their sidewalk cafe application that "could have helped us stay open."

In issuing the denial in May for the 16-table sidewalk cafe, CB3 officials said that the restaurant received 45 311 calls since it opened, 18 of which required a visit from the NYPD, according to the official minutes of the meeting. (PDF here.) Five residents (as well as a rep from the East 4th Street/Lower Avenue B Block Association) also spoke at the CB3 meeting, stating that Nobody is Perfect "plays excessively loud music and allows cheering and chanting associated with its weekend boozy brunches," which was in violation of its license. (There were other complaints too, such as leaving the restaurant's front windows open past 10 p.m.)

Nobody Is Perfect was the fifth restaurant to try this address in the past 10 years. B4 closed in June 2016 after nearly three years in business ... and previously Piccola Positano, Tonda and E.U. gave the space a go.

H/T Alexis!

Previously on EV Grieve:
Team behind Avenue B's Pardon My French eyeing 2 spaces on 4th Street

Foot Gear Plus has closed on 1st Avenue

Foot Gear Plus is now closed on the southwest corner of First Avenue and St. Mark's Place.

As we first reported back on July 11, Tony Scifo, who opened the shop here in 1980, recently made the difficult decision to close his family-fun business on July 31.

Scifo told this to EVG contributor Stacie Joy:

"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.

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

No word just yet on who the next tenant might be in this high-profile corner space.

The Chipotle on St. Mark's Place has permanently closed

Permanently closed signs now adorn the front doors of the Chipotle outpost at 19-25 St. Mark's Place between Second Avenue and Third Avenue.

An EVG tipster shared this news...



Chipotlers are instructed to visit the nearest location at 55 E. Eighth St.



I don't recall when this Chipotle opened. 2003? 2004? 2008? (The first one opened in the city on 44th Street and Third Avenue in 2003, per the Times.)

Chipotle recently announced that the company was closing 65 U.S. locations as part of a brand restructuring.

This article has some history of the buildings that stood here previously.

East Village Fruit and Vegetable is closing on Avenue B

Several EVG readers have shared the news that East Village Fruit and Vegetable is closing at the end of the month here on Avenue B between 13th Street and 14th Street.

The lease is up, and the owners can't make the increase in rent work. According to a longtime patron, the store owners also said that they don't think they can compete with the new Target, which features a large grocery selection, on 14th Street at Avenue A.

An EVG reader had this to say about East Village Fruit and Vegetable:

It's the kind of place where you could leave keys for a friend to pick up, catch a glimpse of Deborah Harry buying fruit [when recording at Mercy Sound Studios on 14th Street] or pick up milk on the way home from a night out. Friends and I wonder how long that single-level structure is likely to exist, given the income potential of building up.

For now, the store is having a 50-percent off sale on selected items.

Inkstop Tattoo has left Avenue A

Back in May, Eric Rignall, the owner of Inkstop Tattoo on Avenue A at 13th Street, announced that his shop would close by Aug. 1 after 21 years in business on this corner.

He recently moved out ... and now the corner space is vacant with a for-rent sign...



The asking rent is $7,000 per month, according to the listing, which notes that it's a "perfect space for office or retail. No cooking. Microwave is allowed."

In May, Rignall told me that the Ink Stop landlord had 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."

He will be working out of Long Island City now. You can find his contact info here.

Last call Sunday for Dorian Gray Tap & Grill on 4th Street

After eight-plus years on Fourth Street, Dorian Gray Tap & Grill is closing this weekend here between Avenue A and Avenue B. Last call is Sunday night.

Owner Peter Cavanagh, said to be the the great-grandnephew of Oscar Wilde, shared the news last night on Facebook, noting: "Well my trusted band of savage warriors! It is with sad heart I have to close the doors of Dorian Gray."

However, the bar, which served Irish pub fare and offered viewings of soccer and rugby matches, won't be empty for long.

Applicants for a venture called the Cabin were on a recent CB3 docket for a new liquor license here. According to their questionnaire (PDF here) on the CB3 website, the Cabin will serve "American tapas" with hours of 11 a.m. to midnight Sunday-Thursday; until 1 a.m. on Friday and Saturday.

EVG regular Pinch, who shared this closure news, said the Dorian Gray "served a proper sized pint — not one of these short pints most bars go with these days."