[Updated] After 43 years in business, Raul Candy Store is closing on Avenue B

"Going out of business" signs now hang in the front window at Rauls Candy Store, bringing an end to the one-of-a-kind shop's nearly 43 years in the neighborhood.

EVG reader Jenny Dembrow shared the photo here from yesterday. Raul closes at the end of the month. No word at the moment why the candy shop/neighborhood hangout/junk shop is closing. (See below for update.)

Raul opened in 1976. The shop has been at No. 205 between 12th Street and 13th Street since 1981.

In a September 2012 interview with The Local, Petra Olivieri, wife of owner Raul Santiago, said that their rent was $100 a month on Avenue D. "Then it started going up: $200, $300. Here, we now pay $2,400. So we have to sell a lot more."

Here's more from the Q&A:

Q. You manage all that selling candy?

A. We sell “chucherias” (knick-knacks), candy and sodas. Raul also sells books and other stuff. There’s not that many of these type of stores around anymore.

Q. Are you both from Puerto Rico?

A. 100 percent. I was born in Las Marias and grew up in Mayagüez. Raul is from… I can’t remember where he’s from. Humacao, maybe. I met him here. He used to go to the island every year. I don’t.

Q. Is it mostly Puerto Ricans who buy things here?

A. We get people from all classes, no matter the race or color. Some come in to look and take pictures. Others come to hang out. It’s like in Puerto Rico, where there are “kioskos,” small businesses where neighborhood people get together. We play dominos out here and we have a good time between people of the old guard.

Updated 4:30 p.m.

Stacie Joy stopped by the shop today. Raul says he's "tired and needs to rest." She asked what if anything the community could do and he said nothing. He just wants to stop. He says it's time.


[EVG photo from June 2010]

Sushi coming to the former 10Below Ice Cream space on St. Mark's Place

10Below Ice Cream closed earlier last month. Paper went up on the front windows here at 42 1/2 St. Mark's Place, and the address was removed from the 10Below Ice Cream website.

Now, a handmade sign reading Zoku arrived on the door this week...



EVG correspondent Steven, who shared the top two photos, found a listing for Zoku Sushi coming to this address here between First Avenue and Second Avenue...



Zoku looks to have been in the catering business in recent months. More about them later.

10Below, billed as the first establishment serving Thai-inspired ice cream rolls in NYC, opened on St. Mark's in September 2016.

Another rolled ice cream shop, Lab -321, opened at 27 St. Mark's Place in June 2016. They closed six months later.

Marcha Cocina has closed on Avenue C

After three-plus years on Avenue C at Seventh Street, Marcha Cocina has closed.

Dave on 7th shared this photo, showing the gate down with a for-rent sign attached.

This tapas joint was an offshoot of the Marcha Cocina in Washington Heights. That location never reopened after a fire this past September.

This space at 111 Avenue C was previously Cafe Cambodge (opened February 2014), which happened after the owners revamped the space from its 6-year run as Arcane.

Bad news at Spinner's?

Spinner's short tenure at 536 E. 14th St. between Avenue A and Avenue B has apparently come to an end. The quick-serve restaurant has not been open lately, and newspaper now covers the front door and window. Google lists Spinner's as permanently closed.

Spinner's, billed as a chicken boutique, opened this past Aug. 23. Two months in, they closed for a quickie revamp, and added pizza to their arsenal.

EVG commenter MrNiceGuy had this to say on our October post:

I'm rooting for this place, but it seems like they've got an uphill battle — the foot traffic on that part of 14th St isn't great, and L-train construction is non-stop across the street. But I've met the owner, he's a really nice guy and his chicken is great. If you live in the neighborhood, give them a shot! Adding pizza to the menu seems like a last-minute Hail Mary. Good luck Spinner's!

Previously on EV Grieve:
Spinner's bringing chicken and Texas BBQ to 14th Street

St. Mark's is deader: St. Mark's Comics is closing after 36 years

[Photo from 2015 by Stacie Joy]

After 36 years on the block, St. Mark's Comics has announced that it will close at the end of February.

The announcement came via social media early this evening (rumors started circulating earlier in the day)...

Yes.
After 36 years of serving the #EastVillage, world famous St.Mark's Comics will be closing at the end of February.
Thanks for all your kind words and concern as word has gotten out.
We will be starting our store-emptying #sale tomorrow morning @ 11AM.
Stay tuned for more!

— St. Mark's Comics (@StMarksComicsNY) January 29, 2019

In a brief phone conversation this afternoon, longtime owner Mitch Cutler said that a variety of factors, from increasing rents to changing consumer shopping habits, played a role in his decision to close up shop here at 11 St. Mark's Place between Second Avenue and Third Avenue.

"There are a number of things that contributed to [the closing]. I have been working 90 hours a week for 36 years, and I no longer have the wherewithal to fight them — all of these various reasons," Cutler said. "It is challenging to have a storefront business in New York City for a number of reasons ... it is challenging to keep and maintain a retail storefront and there are enough impediments now that — like I said, I'm exhausted and can't fight them anymore."

For now, he expects the shop to remain open through February. "Something could change, but that is our expectation," he said.

He hasn't given too much thought about post-St. Mark's Comics life and the future. "I suppose after I've slept for two weeks I will begin to consider what that is."

Perhaps an online comics business?

"We have not ruled anything out, but we have also not planned for that. There are conversations, but they are in the earliest of the early stages."

For now, he's focusing on a store-clearing sale that begins tomorrow.


[Photo from 2015 by Stacie Joy]

Cutler said that he told his staff about the closing over the weekend, and has just started informing shop regulars today. The reaction so far?

"Universally it has been very sweet and very touching. People are telling us how much they'll miss us and how upset they are that we're going. We have known many of these people for a very long time," he said. "We are trying to keep it a celebration and not a funeral. It gets emotional some time, but we are trying to keep it happy."

Previously on EV Grieve:
A visit to St. Mark's Comics

Headed south: Mr. White has apparently closed on St. Mark's Place

Word is circulating that Mr. White, the upscale, New Orleans-themed restaurant at 123 St. Mark's Place, has closed ... a chain lock was on the front door when Mr. White was scheduled to be open on Saturday evening...



The restaurant's phone is out of service and its website is offline... Yelp reports that Mr. White has closed.

Mr. White opened last February here between Avenue A and First Avenue. The space was gutted and fitted to evoke a Southern mansion, complete with fireplace and velvet curtains. Menu items included chargrilled oysters, collard green spring rolls, smoked duck, shrimp and grits, and brûlée bananas.

The address was previously home to the Belgian Room, which the state seized for nonpayment of taxes in April 2015. The reconfigured Mr. White space also includes the former Ton-Up Cafe.

The Bowery Bond closes on the Bowery

The Bowery Bond, a self-described artist collective selling woman's and men's clothing as well as a variety of accessories, jewelry and home decor, closed after the business day on Sunday at 352 Bowery between Fourth Street and Great Jones.


[Photo Sunday by Lola Sáenz]

The operators told patrons that they are looking for a new (and smaller) space in the area. The Bowery Bond arrived in May 2017.

According to the retail listing at Meridian, the asking rent is $27,000 for 2,250 square feet.

Tu-Lu's Gluten Free Bakery has closed on 11th Street after 9 years

[Image via Facebook]

Tu-Lu's Gluten Free Bakery ended nine years in business yesterday here on 11th Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue.

Owner Tully Phillips opened the shop in 2010. She relocated to Dallas several years later when her husband took a new job in that city. That move played a part in the decision to close here. Phillips explained more in this Instagram post:

It is with a heavy heart that I announce that Tu-Lu's will be closing on 1/15 after nine amazing years of business. Our lease term is up for renewal next month. Due to a variety of factors, including the rising cost of doing business in NYC and the fact that I live halfway across the country in Texas, I have had to make this difficult decision. I want to thank each and every one of you for being our customer for almost a decade! Without you my dreams never would have come true. 💗 Tully

Tomorrow at noon, everything in the shop — shelving, refrigerators, mixers — hits the auction block.

Food & Wine once declared that she made the "best-ever gluten-free brownies." Her regulars are hoping for a cookbook in her future.

Old Monk has not been open lately on Avenue B

Updated Jan. 15: Ownership confirmed the closure

Reader reports are coming in about the status of Old Monk, the Indian restaurant on Avenue B at 11th Street.

EVG regulars Salim and Vinny & O point out that Old Monk has not been open lately...



... with a handwritten closed sign taped to the front door this past week...



The interior appears to have been mostly cleaned out...





There isn't any message about a closure, permanent or temporary, on the Old Monk website or social media properties. The phone is currently disconnected. (We sent them an email asking about their status, and will update if they respond.)

Old Monk, from prolific restaurateur Sushil Malhotra, whose ventures include Cafe Spice, opened here in July 2017. (People seemed to like the food ... and they were good neighbors, offering a free buffet on Thanksgiving Day 2017 and 2018.)

The address here, 175 Avenue B, has seen a variety of cuisine in recent years, including Babu Ji (2015-17) and Spina (2009-2015). Previous restaurants here were Uovo and Panificio.

Photo credits: Salim, top three, and Vinny & O, the last two

Mandala Tibetan Store is closing on St. Mark's Place

The family-owned Mandala Tibetan Store is closing at 17 St. Mark's Place between Second Avenue and Third Avenue. (Thanks to Steven for the tip and photo!)

The last day for the shop, which sells traditional Tibetan and Buddhist wares as well as clothing and jewelry from India and Thailand, is Feb. 15.

The owners posted this message on Instagram:

With a heavy heart, after 16+ years our store on St. Mark's Place will be closing on Feb 15. We’ve enjoyed every one and every moment while we’ve been here. Everything in the store will be 50% off until we close.

The owners also have stores in Park Slope and Williamsburg, which will remain open.

Beijing Express pulls into 3rd Avenue after Gala's quick exit

The signage/brandage arrived for Beijing Express at 92 Third Ave. late last week (H/T EVG reader Laura!) ...



The quick-serve restaurant takes the place of the quickly departed Gala BBQ, which just opened in September here between 12th Street and 13th Street.

Gala, whose questionnaire on file at CB3 described the place as a "high-end Chinese restaurant," had tough competition, sandwiched in a space between the popular Han Dynasty and Hunan Bistro. I don't know if the owners of Beijing Express were also involved with Gala.

In any event, the interior shows some work left to do before opening...

The Starbucks on Broadway and 9th Street has closed

Last June, Starbucks reported that it would close 150 poorly performing company-operated stores in 2019, mostly in urban areas that are densely populated with other locations, per CNN.

Apparently the Starbucks on the northwest corner of Broadway and Ninth Street was on that hit list ... this location is now closed... the sign on the door directs would-be Starbuckers to nearby outposts...



The Starbucks took over for the Starbucks-owned Teavana in 2016.

This corner space previously housed Silver Spurs, the diner that closed in December 2013 after 34 years in business. After the rent hike, several EVG readers lamented that a Starbucks would likely take over the space.

Milk Hops, the beer-cheese store next to the Starbucks, closed this past Nov. 30.

Previously on EV Grieve:
After 34 years, Silver Spurs is closing on Broadway

Teary letters to landlord show that local children are devastated over closure of Silver Spurs

Starbucks-owned Teavana coming to the former Silver Spurs space on Broadway

Report: Upright Citizens Brigade closing East Village outpost next month

Amid financial difficulties, Upright Citizens Brigade Theater is closing its East Village outpost, UCBeast, on Feb. 9, Vulture reports.

This tip comes to Vulture via an attendee of an all-theater meeting last night. (There hasn't been any official notice from UCB on the closure.)

Last month, UCB announced staff layoffs to help streamline their operation, as the Times reported at the time.

Pat Baer, the theater’s longtime technical director, is also leaving UCB as of Feb. 9.

After Feb 9th, I will no longer be a UCB employee. April would have been 15 years. I’m heartbroken and a bit numb. I will accept condolences, high fives, and job offers.

— Pat Baer 2019 (@patbaer) January 9, 2019

Baer also made a suggestion last night on Twitter to help save UCBeast...

Should we ask Lin Manuel Miranda to buy UCB East?

— Pat Baer 2019 (@patbaer) January 10, 2019

The venue on Avenue A and Third Street opened in September 2011 ... after so much drama (Hot Chicks Room! New Jack Cornballs!) for a comedy club. More later on all this.

Updated 10:30 a.m.

The Times reports:

U.C.B. will be partnering with SubCulture, a 130-seat Bleecker Street venue where U.C.B. will host shows on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights — for three evenings of programming as opposed to the full seven at the East Village U.C.B., where the last show will be on Feb. 9. Shows at SubCulture, a venue that opened five years ago, will begin on Feb. 15.

Previously on EV Grieve:
[Updated] Your 'Hot Chicks Room' sign update

[Updated] Resident starting a petition to have the 'Hot Chicks Room' sign removed at the Upright Citizens Brigade

Breaking: UCB will remove the 'Hot Chicks Room' sign!

'Hot Chicks Room' sign will now bring ruin to compost

Chelsea Thai closes after 5 months on 1st Avenue

[Photo Saturday by Steven]

On Friday night, Chelsea Thai founder-chef Saruj Nimkarn hung the closing sign on his restaurant at 192 First Ave. between 11th Street and 12th Street.


[Photo by Lola Sáenz]

Nimkarn just debuted here in August after 21 years in the Chelsea Market. (A rent increase there forced Nimkarn to look elsewhere.) Unfortunately, he told EVG regular Lola Sáenz that there wasn't enough business in his new space to make the rent.

The food was delicious and reasonably priced. Not entirely sure why the restaurant didn't last. (Lack of a liquor license? Not enough daytime foot traffic? Too many other buzzy new restaurants nearby such as Little Tong Noodle Shop and Tatsu Ramen?)

The address was previously home to the Neptune. The Polish-American diner closed in December 2016 after 15 years in business. According to one source, the rent doubled. After Neptune's departure, the landlord divided up the restaurant into two retail spaces.

Space 194, a hybrid tea-coffee shop-gallery recently opened in the other storefront.



Previously on EV Grieve:
Chelsea Thai coming to former Neptune space on 1st Avenue; Filipino fare for Avenue A

Chelsea Thai debuts on 1st Avenue

[Updated] Bad Carma? 6th Street dim sum spot hasn't been open lately

Updated: We understand that Carma East will reopen Jan. 14 after a kitchen upgrade. Updated 2: Carma reopened the week of Jan. 28.

The gates have been down of late at Carma East, the dim sum bar at 507 E. Sixth St. between Avenue A and Avenue B. The closure during the holiday stretched into this past weekend.

There isn't any notice about a temporary closing on the restaurant's website or social media properties, though their phone is out of service and Yelp lists them as closed.

An EVG reader who lives nearby shared this photo from early December, when Carma East added six flat-screen TVs (tuned to sporting events) and a random assortment of NFL pennants ...



Per the reader: "Seems like a bit of an odd mix with soup dumplings." (The Carma East Instagram account does say "Tapas to Get Drunk With.")

This sibling of Carma Asian Tapas in the West Village opened on Sixth Street in September 2016.

And this has been a tough stretch of Sixth Street for restaurants. If this closure is permanent, then that makes three restaurants out of four storefronts to shut down in the past year... the others are Cholo Noir (a new applicant is looking to lease this spot) and Out East (new ownership was expected in this space too).