At the last night of Minca

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

Minca closed for good on Monday night after 21 years in service at 536 E. Fifth St. between Avenue A and Avenue B. 

As we reported, owner Shigeto Kamada, who's in his 70s, plans to retire. 

News of the Tokyo-style ramen parlor shutting down rallied its regulars. There was a line that started at 3 p.m., and the place sold out by 8 p.m.

Locals packed into the tiny ramen shop for one last bowl. Diners even braved the rain, with one couple opting to sit outside under an umbrella since all the seats inside were taken.

The neighborhood came together in small, memorable ways. 

One resident, who lives on Avenue A, brought her son for dinner but saw how overwhelmed the staff were. So she grabbed an apron and pitched in.

Kyoko (below left) — a server who has been at Minca for more than 15 years — was in tears and spent much of the evening receiving hugs.

There were countless "cheers to the kitchen" and heartfelt toasts.

One longtime customer shared, "Their broth is the best! Always nourishing, and tasted like it was made with love. In the wintertime, it was a staple. The ramen is nourishing and restorative." 

Despite the sadness of the moment, the atmosphere brimmed with gratitude.

Comings and goings on Astor Place: Sweetgreen closes; NYU expands

That's all for the Sweetgreen on Astor Place. (H/T EVG reader Dan.) 

The fast-casual salad joint closed at 10 Astor Place between Broadway and Lafayette on Sunday after nine years in service. 

Sweetgreeners are instructed to visit the outpost on University Place and 12th Street. (There's also one of the Bowery at Third Street.) This is a surprise, as the location seemed busy and was in an area seemingly friendly to the fast-casualization trend. 

And now a few ICYMI items from around Astor Place (signage for these places has been up since the spring)... 

A Hampton Chutney is opening a few storefronts away, closer to Broadway... in a space that has seen a lot of turnover in recent years. No word has been announced on an opening date for the quick-serve brand selling Indian crêpes, aka dosas.

NYU has entered a long-term lease for 1.1 million square feet of space at 770 Broadway (the Wannamaker Building where Wegman's is). 

Plans call for the university to "consolidate faculty and research in a collaboration hub focused on battling diseases and saving lives," per a news release. (Thanks to the reader for the photo.)

And around the corner at 68 Cooper Square, Perfect Meat Bowl, a — you guessed it — build-your-own-meat-bowl concept with nine locations in Ontario, Canada, is in the works. This marks the first U.S. outpost.

This space was previously occupied by Gold Bao, which "closed for renovations" in June 2024, and The Alley, a bubble tea spot.

After 20-plus years, Minca on 5th Street will close its doors for good after service tonight

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

Minca, which has been serving Tokyo-style ramen since 2004 at 536 E. Fifth St., between Avenue A and Avenue B, is closing after tonight's service.

I stopped by the small ramen parlor last night, and the staff confirmed the pending closure. (H/T Max for letting us know!)

According to one staff member, Minca's owner is in his 70s and wants to retire. There's speculation that someone will open a Minca-style space in Long Island City, although no further details are available at this time. 

We were told the workers here have secured new jobs elsewhere.

Through the years, diners have appreciated Minca for its authenticity. It has also appeared on multiple top ramen lists in NYC, including those by Eater. 

Minca, to me, was the place I craved whenever I had a sore throat or was recovering from some bronchial misery. It's where I'd quickly slurp down an endless bowl of healing sesame-and-mushroom broth tofu ramen on freezing NYC days. I'd perch in one of the snug window seats, hunch over my bowl, carefully stirring in tiny bits of extra spicy red paste ordered "on the side," and watch condensation drip down the glass, turning the world soft and foggy.

It's where I hoped no one noticed my awkward attempts to juggle a spoon and chopsticks. It's also where I brought friends visiting from out of town — a dependable, affordable, no-frills meal that was always excellent.

[Updated] The East Village Rite Aid does NOT close today on 1st Avenue

Updated 6/5: Despite the layoff notices to the State of New York effective yesterday and an array of media reports listing June 4 as a closing date, the East Village Rite Aid remains open on First Avenue. An employee had no idea when they might close and hadn't been updated on its status. She said she'd be there until they told her the store was closed for good. 

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The bankrupt pharmacy chain Rite Aid is closing all of its locations in New York State, with the three Manhattan stores, including the one at 81 First Ave., shutting down today.

According to WARN notices filed with the New York State Department of Labor, 15 employees are losing their jobs at the East Village location effective today. (All state layoff notices for the remaining Rite Aids are dated June 4.)

As previously reported, Rite Aid filed for bankruptcy (again) last month, citing years of financial struggles and a rapidly changing retail pharmacy market. CEO Matt Schroeder stated that the chain was selling off its assets and transitioning its pharmacy services to competitors. 

"Your prescriptions will be transferred to a chain pharmacy nearby, probably either CVS or Duane Reade, whichever company buys the prescriptions from us," a store employee told us last month. 

Crain's, who first noted the June 4 closing date, reported that the leases for the 33 metropolitan Rite Aids are heading to auction via a New Jersey bankruptcy court. Interested bidders may register with A&G Real Estate Partners. (Updated: Spectrum News also reported the June 4 closure 

The EV Rite Aid was reportedly leasing the space for upwards of $50,000 per month.

Strauss News did some digging on the single-level building's ownership here on the SW corner of First Avenue at Fifth Street: 

The 1920s-era East Village building has been owned by the New Tandem Equities since 2007, city property records reveal, when it was sold to them for $4.2 million by an LLC under developer Anthony Marano's control. Marano, in turn, had bought the building from grocery store mogul (Gristedes and D’Agostino's) and radio station owner (WABC 770 AM) John Catsimatidis in 2005.

Again, the auction is for the leases, not the properties. The EV lease is reportedly set to expire in 2032.

The shelves at the First Avenue Rite Aid have been mostly barren for over a year, although this store managed to survive the previous company turmoil. 

EVG readers praised the efficient pharmacy staff at the EV Rite Aid. Per one commenter last month: "Their pharmacists were always extremely helpful, and the customer service was excellent!"

Yummy Hive vanishes in the night on 2nd Avenue and 10th Street

Yummy Hive, the year-old market on the SW corner of Second Avenue and 10th Street, seemingly vanished late Wednesday night or early Thursday morning. 

Someone removed all the deli and refrigeration cases, along with the products, which appears to have happened quickly. Given the state of the interior, several EVG readers speculated that the store looked as if it had been looted.

Plus, the brightly lit 24/7 deli was bombed by taggers, giving it abandoned-for-months vibes.

Thanks to EVG reader Andrew V. for these photos...   

Yummy Hive opened almost a year ago, offering an extensive menu of sandwiches, salads, smoothies, etc. The menu seemed too big for the volume of business. (Did anyone ever order the Seafood Sampler Platter, which cost $19.99 and featured chilled shrimp, tuna salad, smoked salmon, calamari rings, lemon wedges, cocktail sauce, and crackers?) 

The prime corner space had been vacant for five years, with the last tenant being Capital One®.

Closings: Tallgrass Burger on 1st Avenue

A for-rent sign hangs on the storefront of 214 First Ave., the now-former home of Tallgrass Burger between 12th Street and 13th Street. 

There's no mention of a closure via Google or Yelp, though the Tallgrass website is now offline.

Tallgrass opened in 2010 (bring back Elvie's Turo-Turo!), and as The Infatuation noted, it "was one of the first burger spots in New York to use organic halal meat."

On 7th Street, the Instant Noodle Factory is closing; noodle liquidation sale commences

Photo by Stacie Joy

The Instant Noodle Factory is officially shutting down on Seventh Street.

The quick-serve spot had been dark this year.

Last week, ownership — the wife-husband team of Cierra Beck and Tat Lee — provided an update on Instagram:

Thanks, everyone, for your support these past 2 years! You might have noticed we've been a bit quiet on here these past few months. Cierra has been struggling with a health issue and needed to take some time away from the business. Combined with some additional setbacks, we made the bittersweet decision to close our stores! A huge thank you to our employees, past and present... Hope to see you guys next week at East Village for some noodle deals and a chance to win one of our noodle cook machines!  

Starting today, they will sell their remaining inventory — from noodles to glassware — at the shop, 130 E. Seventh St., just west of Avenue A. 

The EV outpost opened in December 2023, following the successful start of a popular DIY noodle shop in Long Island City.

The couple is launching an app, Noodlepedia, and Noodle Club, a monthly subscription box. Details are here.

Bronx Brewery has closed on 2nd Avenue

Photos by Steven

After three years at 64 Second Ave. between Third Street and Fourth Street, Bronx Brewery has closed its East Village location. 

Monday was the last day in service...

Ownership posted this on Instagram: 

After three unforgettable years, we’ve made the difficult decision to close our East Village location. 64 Second Ave was meant to be an extension of our Bronx roots, but it quickly became something so much more — a sanctuary, a gathering place, a second home. 

To our staff, friends, family, community partners, guests, and even that one squirrel who ran inside—we are endlessly grateful. Thank you for filling this space with your energy, your laughter, your stories... and, of course, your cheers. 

The space also featured the first U.S. location for Swedish brand Bastard Burgers.

The original location in the Bronx (b. 2011) and the newer one in Hudson Yards will remain open.

This retail space had been vacant since NYC Velo moved a storefront to the north in 2016.

Bluestone Lane has closed on Astor Place

The Bluestone Lane outpost in the Death Star at 51 Astor Place has closed. 

An EVG reader shared these photos, with one showing an empty storefront.

There isn't any closing notice for patrons on the door of the Australian-inspired coffee shop. However, a Bluestone Lane rep confirmed the closing with EVG.

This Bluestone outpost (the eighth in NYC at the time) opened in April 2016.

We thought they might have seen an uptick in business after Starbucks closed on Astor Place last summer.

Still, many coffee choices are nearby, including two branches of the Bean, Astor Plate, the Madman Espresso airstream trailer outside the Uptown 6 stop, Hidden Grounds around the corner on Third Avenue, Think Coffee on Fourth Avenue, and Irving Farm New York on 10th Street. To name a few in the immediate area.

Final cut: Hollywood Nail & Spa closes on 1st Street

Several EVG readers have noted that Hollywood Nail & Spa has closed at 114 E. 1st St., just steps away from Houston Street.

The gate was down during the announced business hours in the past week, and Google now lists the spot as permanently closed. 

The salon arrived in the spring of 2013 and endured several years of its storefront blocked by a hulking sidewalk bridge to construct a luxury building next door... as well as the never-ending East Houston Reconstruction Project that finally wrapped in 2018. 

Double Zero and Bar Verde combine space on 2nd Avenue

We weren't aware of this move until covering the fatal fire at 65 Second Ave. between Third Street and Fourth Street on Sunday.

Plantmade, the vegan pizzeria in the northern storefront, has merged with Bar Verde in the other retail space at the address. According to Vegan NYC, the business is now known as PlantMade By Bar Verde &  & Double Zero, which debuted on Jan. 21. 

The business website states: "PlantMade will feature Mexican and Italian favorites and inspired new creations." Ownership stated that "occupancy costs have tripled" since opening Double Zero, hence the merger. 

According to Vegan NYC, vegan restaurateur Matthew Kenney is not involved in PlantMade. Kenney previously had three establishments in a row here. The contents of Sestina, a pasta restaurant at 67 Second Ave. at Fourth Street, were auctioned off in the fall of 2022. (This marked the fourth Kenney concept in recent years in the corner space, following Plantmade, Plant Food + Wine, and Arata.)

Hours for PlantMade By Bar Verde & Double Zero: Sunday to Thursday from noon to 11 p.m., with a 1 a.m. close on Friday and Saturday. 

Sunday's fire likely damaged the now-empty storefront...

The longtime tenant who lived upstairs, a 75-year-old Vietnam veteran, died in the fire that broke out around 10:30 a.m. on Sunday.

A neighbor is caring for his dog, Bella, and is crowdfunding to cover her medical expenses.

Updated 2/10: Bella has passed away from the injuries sustained in the fire. Details here.

Ferns announces February closing date

EVG file photo

Ferns, the bistro-bar at 166 First Ave., has announced a closing date after more than seven years in business between 10th Street and 11th Street. 

Feb. 26 is the last day. 

In an Instagram post from last week, owner Michael Bailey (who also operates The Belfrey on 14th Street) wrote, in part: 

We face a number of challenges that are hardly unique: high rents, rising costs, and economic uncertainty, to name a few. We've put up a hell of a fight, but our time has come to turn the page. While this chapter is coming to an end, we look back on it with nothing but gratitude for the support and love this community has shown us.

Ferns opened in the fall of 2017... taking over the long-vacant space that last housed cocktail lounge The Nite Owl.