Closings: Kuppi Coffee Company on St. Mark's Place

After nearly a year at 131 First Ave. (aka 82 St. Mark's Place), Kuppi Coffee Company has closed its doors. 

A small note on the door stated that Aug. 31 was their last day in service, and it thanked patrons. 

This was the second outpost for the Edgewater, N.J.-based Kuppi Coffee Company. (In 2018, Architectural Digest named Kuppi the "Most Beautiful Coffee Shop" in New Jersey, noting: "White-washed exposed-brick walls and hung flower boxes — brimming with greenery — bring the outdoors in at Kuppi Coffee Company ...") 

People seemed to like Kuppi here, though there are many nearby well-established coffee choices... including (but not limited to!) Porto Rico Importing Co., Abraço and Mud... plus 787 Coffee, Poetica Coffee, et al.

The previous tenant at the address, AO Bowl, closed in August 2022 after an off-and-on 18 months in business ... and blaming Sen. Schumer.

In 2019, workers gutted this single-level structure on this corner ... and divided the storefront into several retail spaces. The other tenant here is the Brooklyn Dumpling Shop. 

The former occupant, Foot Gear Plus, closed in July 2018 after nearly 40 years in business.

Sidewalk bridge removal reveals a business closure on 1st Avenue

Photos by Steven 

Late last week, workers removed the sidewalk bridge from outside 165-167 First Ave. between 10th Street and 11th Street, where we learned that the obscured business here, Hay Hay Roasted, had closed. (The other storefront, the former Commodities at No. 165, has been vacant for 20 months.)

The restaurant, which served Cantonese roast meats and noodle soups, opened this past Dec. 16. They announced their closure on May 28 via Instagram. 

The notice left for patrons on the gate didn't go into too much detail: "We regret to announce the closure of our East Village location. Despite our best efforts, this decision, though difficult, reflects our commitment to adapt and thrive."

Being under a sidewalk bridge during the business's entire existence could not have helped. In fact, we didn't even realize that the place had shut down.

Hay Hay Roasted's Mott Street outpost remains in service.

The signage at No. 167 remains from Tatsu Ramen, which closed in the fall of 2021.

Oh no! O'Flaherty's has departed its gallery-performance space on Avenue A

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

After a rollicking 18 months at 44 Avenue A, O'Flaherty's is out of the gallery-performance space on the NE corner of Third Street. 

We spotted a for-lease sign on the gallery's awning early yesterday morning. Artist, curator and owner Jamian Juliano-Villani confirmed the closure. 

When asked if she'd reopen in the neighborhood, she offered: "We're looking for a space where the sun sets at the entrance, not rises." When we asked her if there was anything else, she said, "Yes, Billy's pregnant," referencing O'Flaherty's gallerist Billy Grant.

O'Flaherty's debuted in February 2023 with "O'Flaherty's gelitin O'Flattering," featuring the Vienna-based performance group gelitin. The shows attracted big crowds.

And Juliano-Villani often seemed to be having the most fun of anyone...

Other memorable events included the debut of a Café (with art!) last August, which showed the work of seven artists and offered mac and cheese and chicken fingers, which may or may not have been part of the show. 

Less kitschy offerings included solo work by longtime East Village resident Donna Dennis, part of the architectural sculpture movement of the early 1970s.

Broker Chandler Slate said the O'Flaherty's space is available immediately with an asking price of $29,000 monthly.

Upright Citizens Brigade Theater closed UCBeast in February 2019 in this space. The comedy venue opened in September 2011, and UCB took over part of the expanded Two Boots empire — the video store on Avenue A and the Pioneer Theater around the corner on Third Street.

O'Flaherty's previously had a year-long run at 55 Avenue C at Fourth Street, culminating with a mobbed show in July 2022.

At 44 Avenue A, the shows were few and far between but never dull. 

Farewell to the Astor Place Starbucks, now officially closed

Updated with a comment from Starbucks HQ below...

Updated 4:30 p.m.: Through a spokesperson, ASG Equities, the landlord at 21 Astor, said that they offered Starbucks a lease extension at exactly the same rent:

ASG is appreciative of Starbucks' decades-long tenancy at 21 Astor.  We are sad they chose to leave, even as we offered a lease extension that would have allowed them to remain in their existing space at the exact same rent. This corner on top of the Astor Place subway has extensive glass frontage, tremendous signage, and incredible foot traffic. We are quite confident that this space will be of interest to a wide range of community-oriented retailers.

-----

In case you missed our scoop from yesterday... the Starbucks on Astor Place closed after service last evening.

By early this morning, workers had removed the Starbucks signage and papered over the windows of this retail space they've been in for nearly 30 years. 

As of 7 a.m., there was no note to potential patrons about a closure or where to find the nearest Starbucks. 

On Saturday, a manager told EVG's Stacie Joy that "the landlords jacked up the rent so astronomically high that even corporate Starbucks couldn't pay it." The manager said that all employees were offered relocation options with other Starbucks. (We also contacted the Starbucks HQ in Seattle for comment.)

This outpost was the 11th Starbucks to open in the city. The spacious 4,000-square-foot SB debuted on March 30, 1995 — a year before the Kmart arrived across Eighth Street. Other key dates in this SB's history: it underwent a major renovation in 2018 ... and unionized in 2022. (The North 7th Street unionized location in Williamsburg closed earlier this summer. We contacted the Starbucks Workers United union as well.)

Regardless of your thoughts about the brand, many people seemed to have a story about this prime people-watching outpost.

While there are ample available storefronts in the immediate area, we'd think that a brand entering the NYC market would want to snap up this high-profile location ... like Raising Cane's, which looks to be doing well since opening last September in the former Walgreens on the opposite corner. 

Updated 11:15 a.m. 

A statement from a spokesperson at Starbucks:

Effective July 29, 2024, our Lafayette & 8th St store, also known as Astor Place, in Manhattan will close permanently. We have engaged Workers United to collaborate on the next steps, including transfer options, for the 17 partners currently employed at this location.​

As a standard course of business, we continually evaluate our store portfolio, using various criteria to ensure we are meeting the needs of our customers. We do not take the decision to close stores lightly. Our relationship with our customers is deeply personal, and we are honored to have been on Astor Place. ​

We hope our customers will use the Starbucks Store Locator to find other nearby locations. 

The closest stores include​: 

• Broadway & Bond – 665 Broadway 

• ​ NYU 4th & Washington Sq E – 45 West 4th St.

•​ 15th & 3rd – 145 3rd Ave.

Scoop: After nearly 30 years, Starbucks is closing its Astor Place location

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

Photos from yesterday

Updated 7/29: See the end of the post for a statement from Starbucks HQ. The SB sign has also been removed from the retail space. Photo here.

Updated: Through a spokesperson, ASG Equities, the landlord at 21 Astor, said that they offered Starbucks a lease extension at exactly the same rent:

“ASG is appreciative of Starbucks’ decades-long tenancy at 21 Astor.  We are sad they chose to leave, even as we offered a lease extension that would have allowed them to remain in their existing space at the exact same rent. This corner on top of the Astor Place subway has extensive glass frontage, tremendous signage, and incredible foot traffic. We are quite confident that this space will be of interest to a wide range of community-oriented retailers.”

-----

Starbucks on Astor Place will close its doors for good after service today, ending nearly 30 years here outside the entrance to the downtown 6 at Lafayette. (H/T to the tipster who first shared this development.)

According to management, "the landlords jacked up the rent so astronomically high that even corporate Starbucks couldn't pay it." The manager said that all employees were offered relocation options with other Starbucks. (We also contacted the Starbucks HQ in Seattle for comment.)

The manager went on to say that he would miss this location's regulars and being part of their day. 

As of yesterday, the Astor Place shop had already scrubbed the brand's NYC location map...

This outpost was the 11th Starbucks to open in the city. The spacious 4,000-square-foot SB debuted on March 30, 1995 — a year before the Kmart arrived across Eighth Street. Other key dates in this SB's history: it underwent a major renovation in 2018 ... and unionized in 2022.

-----

--Updated--

Starbucks closed its unionized location on North 7th Street location in Williamsburg on June 30, per Greenpointers.

-----

With its floor-to-ceiling windows lined with high stools, the outpost was popular for its ample people-watching opportunities ... as well as convenient public restrooms. (Before the 2018 renovations, a one-star Yelp review from here noted: "The bathrooms look like they run a cockfighting ring out of them.")

Despite this closure, Starbucks still has smaller outlets on Avenue A at St. Mark's Place, First Avenue at Third Street, and First Avenue at 13th Street (not to mention locations on Union Square and University Place). 

Once upon a time, there were two Starbucks on Astor Place (plus one at Broadway and Ninth Street that shuttered in 2019)... the one at 51 Astor Place closed in 2009 and was replaced by the New York Film Academy Café. That iteration of the address was demolished in 2011 to make way for the Death Star.

Updated 7/29

A statement from a spokesperson at Starbucks:

Effective July 29, 2024, our Lafayette & 8th St store, also known as Astor Place, in Manhattan will close permanently. We have engaged Workers United to collaborate on the next steps, including transfer options, for the 17 partners currently employed at this location.​

As a standard course of business, we continually evaluate our store portfolio, using various criteria to ensure we are meeting the needs of our customers. We do not take the decision to close stores lightly. Our relationship with our customers is deeply personal, and we are honored to have been on Astor Place. ​

We hope our customers will use the Starbucks Store Locator to find other nearby locations. 

The closest stores include​: 

• Broadway & Bond – 665 Broadway 

• ​NYU 4th & Washington Sq E – 45 West 4th St.

•​15th & 3rd – 145 3rd Ave.

Boulton & Watt has closed

After 11-plus years on the NW corner of Houston and Avenue A, Boulton & Watt has closed ... shutting down after service yesterday. 

In announcing the closure earlier this month on Instagram, the bar-restaurant's management wrote, in part: "To all of our guests, staff members, friends, and family, thank you for making Boulton & Watt your home." 

The Boulton & Watt brand will live on with an outpost at JFK's Terminal 4 in the coming months (we happened to spot it while catching a flight last month)...

Look for the prime EV corner to stay in the Paradise Hospitality (Mister Paradise, Wiggle Room, Pretty Ricky's) family. The Instagram post also notes: "Stay tuned for some exciting news about a new project in this space; see you all very soon!" 

And because someone will post "Bring back Nice Guy Eddie's" in the comments... this space was previously Nice Guy Eddie's. The bar-restaurant with Chico's KISS mural closed in June 2011 after 16 years in service.

David's Cafe abruptly closes on St. Mark's Place

Several residents were surprised to find for-lease signs at David's Cafe on Thursday night. The bistro at 102 St. Mark's Place between Avenue A and First Avenue is now closed. 

A reader spotted movers hauling equipment out of the space on Friday. 

The David Cafe's website and Instagram account do not mention a closure, though Google lists it as permanently closed. We reached out to David's for more information.

David's Cafe, from Daniel and BLT Market alum David Malbequi, opened in late 2015 and received praise for its menu, including "The Absolute Best Steak-Frites in New York," per Grub Street.

Malbequi is also a partner in Spice Brothers next door... the quick-serve Middle-Eastern venture just got high marks from Pete Wells at The New York Times. 

Top photo by Kelly Chasse/2nd photo by Clem Robineau

Updated: Crazy Burger's short tenure has come to a close on Avenue C

Renovations continue inside 193 Avenue C, the short-lived home of Crazy Burger here between 11th Street and 12th Street. (Thanks to Edmund John Dunn for these photos!)

Based on the refrigerated display cases, it appears to be becoming a market-deli (or maybe a smoke shop with snack and soda options)...

The quick-serve smash burger joint debuted in January and appeared out of business by early June. 

Updated July 13 

Signage arrived for the new business...

A permanent closure for Dhom on 12th Street

Dhom has announced its permanent closure as of Monday at 505 E. 12th St. between Avenue A and Avenue B. 

A sign outside for patrons thanks them for their support (thanks to all the readers who noted this)...

Dhom opened in July 2022, serving up Laotian cuisine from owners whose credits included Tribeca's Khe-Yo. That 11-year-old restaurant also just closed. 

Co-owner Nick Bradley told Eater: 

He says he feels "slightly betrayed" by the hospitality industry, "that you put your life’s work into," and “all those who make 3 to 5 percent off our work is what's causing us to close." 

Bradley cited the percentages taken by credit card companies, point-of-service apps, rising insurance premiums, and inflation as having battered not just his restaurants, but the industry at large. "It leaves me kind of bitter," he says. 

He pointed out he’s articulating these reasons for closing in an attempt to get the attention of local government and others who "can help do something about it." 

The 12th Street space previously housed the high-end cocktail lounge Mace. Double Wide closed at No. 503-505 in March 2018 (much to the relief of some neighbors). 

That's all for M & J Asian Cuisine on 14th and B

Multiple readers shared the closing news on Tuesday about M & J Asian Cuisine (seen below in better days), a budget-friendly Chinese restaurant and sushi bar on the SE corner of 14th Street and Avenue B.

No word on why it closed. The restaurant arrived in the fall of 2014, so perhaps the lease was up... and how much longer can a prime corner like this continue with single- and two-level buildings.

Thanks to EVG reader Patrick for the top photo!

Joey Bats Café has closed on Avenue B

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy

Over the weekend, the Joey Bats Café signage was removed from 50 Avenue B, marking the official end of the business here between Third Street and Fourth Street.

Joey Batista (aka Bats) opened his eponymous business here in October 2021. He initially sold his signature pastéis de nata from a sidewalk table until he debuted the cafe-bar late last summer.

While the Avenue B outpost is no longer open, Batista (below) will continue to sell his Portuguese custard tarts from several locations, including the Essex Market, Grand Central Terminal and Chelsea Market. (He's also expanding to Boston.) He'll also still use his shipping center on Houston Street near Clinton for nationwide orders. 

Batista was a former partner in the basement business at 50 Avenue B, GAMA Lounge. We hear that GAMA will take over the street-level space, though they have yet to respond to a request for more information.

Lamia’s Fish Market is 'temporarily closed for maintenance'

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy

Lamia's Fish Market is closed for now at 47 Avenue B between Third Street and Fourth Street.

Door signage notes a temporary closure "for maintenance." 

The restaurant's website and social media properties do not mention the closure, and as of last night, Lamia's was still accepting reservations.

However, multiple sources tell us that the Fish Market will not reopen and that staff has already left for new jobs.

Owner Lamia Funti was previously involved with Le Souk, a longtime trouble spot on this block that eventually had its liquor license canceled by the State Liquor Authority in 2009.

Lamia's made a splash upon opening in the summer of 2019, garnering media attention for its two-level, six-room "aquatic splendor."

This smoke shop won't be reopening after an assault and robbery

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

Several weeks ago, two smoke shops were robbed near Fourth Street and Avenue B — the Green Apple Smoke Shop, 240 E. Fourth St., and Best NY Smoke Shop at 46 Avenue B. 

The suspect allegedly assaulted the workers at both locations and has since been apprehended. Police sources tell us that the suspect had a gun, though it turned out to be fake. Per our sources, he was wanted for similar robberies in the Bronx and Uptown. 

Green Apple, one of the many unlicensed cannabis businesses to pop up in the past two years, never reopened after the attack. We're told the worker on duty was severely injured. 

The shop is now permanently closed. Yesterday, management started cleaning out the shop. We were invited inside to see the damage from the robbery...

Bad Habit closing on Avenue A as owners will head west to start a family

Photo from January 2023 by Stacie Joy 

You have about three more weeks to partake in this Bad Habit. 

Javier Zuñiga and Jesse Merchant Zuñiga, the owners of the ice cream shop at 131 Avenue A between St. Mark's Place and Ninth Street, announced they are closing on July 14. 

Here's part of their farewell announcement: 

As many of you know, we founded Bad Habit out of our Brooklyn apartment towards the tail end of the pandemic. Freshly engaged, on the cusp of getting married, we formed this passion project having no idea where this crazy ice cream adventure would lead; we owe its success in large part to all of you, our loyal customers. Now we are on to a new adventure, welcoming a baby boy of our own on the West Coast, where we will continue churning, cooking and baking … this time just a little bit closer to the beach.

We hope you can join us before our last day of service on July 14 to stock up on pints, swing by for an ice cream sandwich, or just say hi. It has been our pleasure to host your engagement dinners, cater your weddings, and have you trust us for your little ones’ first taste of ice cream. 

Thank you for the adventure of a lifetime. 

The space, which also initially included Caleta, a 21-seat cafe that served beer, wine and small plates, opened in January 2023.

Bad Habit quickly gained a loyal following with concoctions that included olive oil, chocolate honeycomb, and dill & yuzu.

H/T Vinny & O!

The Marshal takes legal possession of Ace's on 2nd Avenue

That's apparently all for Ace's (sometimes Aces) at 197 Second Ave. 

The cocktail lounge-restaurant went dark, per an EVG reader, in mid-May. 

There's a Marshal's notice on the storefront, noting that the landlord is now in legal possession of the space just north of 12th Street... Google also lists Ace's as permanently closed.

Restaurateur Mike Dollaway, whose résumé includes management/ownership at several now-closed upscale spots, including Provocateur in the Meatpacking District and Lily Pond in East Hampton, was behind this neighborhood-ish bar concept that opened in the fall of 2022. 

No. 197 was previously Black Emperor, which shut down in August 2020. Shoolbred's closed here in June 2017 after nearly 10 years in business. This address was also Jade Mountain, home of the great Chow Mein sign, until 2007.

That's all, folks: Tacos El Porky closes on Avenue A after 3-plus months

Photo by Steven 

Tacos El Porky has shut down after three-plus months at 151 Avenue A between Ninth Street and 10th Street. 

On Saturday, the South Florida-based business announced via Instagram: "Our New York restaurant is closing its doors permanently. Thank You to all the people that came and tried our food; we’ll miss you! But… The Party continues in Miami!"

The taco shop debuted in late February ... taking over from its sibling El Primo Red Tacos, which came and went after four months. Owner Frank Neri previously told us they couldn't make enough money with the limited beef birria menu.

The closure comes after management appeared before CB3 for a beer-wine license last month and pitched to use the backyard space — a proposal with seven tables and 28 seats. (According to the minutes from the public meeting, they were also on the August 2020 docket for a similar ask but "refused to appear" before the committee.) 

While CB3 gave conditional consent last month for the beer-wine, the committee stated Tacos El Porky could not use the backyard space for dining. 

A lot of locals also spoke out against this applicant's quest to use the outdoor space. According to the minutes from the May meeting: 

We have received a petition in opposition to the backyard use, and late night/early morning hours, signed by 143 nearby residents. The neighbors state that the applicant has been using the backyard for staff use, including cleaning mats, pots and pans and other kitchen equipment late at night causing noise and disturbances, as well as letters in opposition from the church next door, and ...

We have received complaints about the applicant giving away and selling margaritas and shots. The applicant states that it was wine/agave-based tequila. We have photos of the applicant advertising these drinks, as well as a menu submitted that lists margaritas and shots, with no mention that it is agave-based. A resident asked the staff about the drinks and was told that it was real tequila and triple sec and shown a bottle of triple sec, and ...

Five residents, including a representative from the 9th St. A1 Block Association, a co-owner representing residents of 149 Avenue A, and a representative from a condo association at 272 E. 10th Street, appeared to speak in opposition to the late-night hours and any use of the backyard. 

As a reminder, tacos can work in these spaces (without the backyard). San Loco was in the south storefront at No. 151 for 15 years until February 2014.

Updated: What might be next for this 2nd Avenue storefront?

In recent months, the gate has been down in the north storefront at 128 Second Ave., and it appeared that Roasted NYC was, well, toasted. (We also spotted an eviction notice taped to the gate in March.)

Fast-forward to the other day... when the gate was (finally) up, and the space appears to either be ready for a new tenant or a for-lease sign here between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place. 

The coffee shop opened last summer, pivoting from the weed-related NYC Kind Cafe ... which took over for the short-lived Paint Puff "N" Peace in 2022 — one of the early unlicensed shops to arrive in the neighborhood. 

Updated 5 p.m. 

A for-lease sign arrived today... photo by Steven

After 36 years in business, Ise Restaurant is closing its doors this month

The owners of Ise have announced that the Japanese restaurant will close its doors on June 28 at 63 Cooper Square, between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place. 

Per a message on Ise's website: 

It is with a heavy heart that we announce the closing of our restaurant. Our last day of business will be June 28, 2024. 

We want to extend our deepest gratitude to each of you for your support and patronage for 36 years. 

Serving you has been a privilege and joy, and we have cherished the many memories made here. Thank you for being part of our journey! 

The restaurant debuted in the Financial District in 1988 and eventually relocated to Cooper Square in the former Menkui-Tei space (also owned by Ise) in 2014.

Ise is open for lunch Tuesday through Sunday from noon to 2:30 p.m. and dinner those days from 5 to 9 p.m. 

H/T jba!

Dear Rufino has apparently moved on from 2nd Avenue

Dear Rufino has closed after several months of operating in the front retail section of 221 Second Ave. between 13th Street and 14th Street.

The space has been empty for the past two weeks... and mentions of the EV location have been scrubbed from the taqueria's Instagram account. Meanwhile, the quick-serve restaurant opened a new outpost at the Worldwide Plaza on West 50th Street.

Dear Rufino, a venture from the same owners as Zona Rosa located on Lorimer Street and Metropolitan Avenue, made its debut in the EV earlier this year, taking over the food operation from Chicken & the Egg.

Sincerely, Ophelia, the speakeasy in the back of the address remains in operation. 

Closings: Yakiniku West on 9th Street

Yakiniku West, a restaurant specializing in cook-it-yourself Japanese BBQ, has closed at 218 E. Ninth St. between Second Avenue and Third Avenue. (Thank you to EVG reader jba for the photo and tip.) 

Management did not offer a reason for the closure and thanked patrons for their loyal support through the years. 

The longtime business reopened in November 2020 — two-plus years after a devastating fire at the address. Fire officials reportedly deemed the blaze an accident due to wiring on the ceiling of the first level. 

The closure coincides with the building arriving on the sales market earlier this month with a $7.85 million ask. No. 218 includes two apartments upstairs.