Hekate Café & Elixir Lounge closing amid rising competition in sober bar scene

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

Hekate Café & Elixir Lounge is closing on Avenue B. 

The cafe-bar at 167 Avenue B between 10th Street and 11th Street opened in January 2022 as a sober-friendly space serving coffee, teas and "magical elixirs," along with hosting community events. 

 Hekate was at the forefront of the alcohol-free movement, more widely embraced today in NYC. 

 Owner Abby Ehmann (below), who also operates Lucky Bar across the street, said the closure is due to financial constraints.

"We aren't making enough money," she said, noting that more bars now offer low-ABV and nonalcoholic options, increasing competition in the space. 

Ehmann said the lease runs through September, though the closing date is still TBD and could come sooner. 

In the meantime, she is moving ahead with a new project: Ehmann said she is signing a lease for the multi-level B Scene at 50 Avenue B between Third Street and Fourth Street, with work on the space — including cleaning, pest control, painting and soundproofing — set to begin. 

All of Hekate's sober events will transition to the new venue, with team members Gene Almonte and Eliott Edge also making the move.

As previously reported, Hekate aimed to create a warm, "feminine energy"-infused space with an emphasis on the mystical — a niche that helped define its run on Avenue B.

As the chain stores turn on Astor Place

An EVG reader shared word that the Pret A Manger has closed on Astor Place...

This is the latest chain to throw in the town on the block between Lafayette and Broadway. The former Sweetgreen space remains vacant after the salad bowlery shuttered last summer.

A Hampton Chutney is at 2 Astor Place, a space that has seen some recent churn, including Felix Roasting Co. and Blue Bottle. 

Oh, and the high-profile Starbucks space is still vacant after a July 2024 shutter. 

While the Raising Cane's and Juice Generation seem to be doing well... there are plenty of vacanies in what is considered a high-traffic corridor. 

Anyway, not every chain is sticking around for the long haul here.

Closures: Village Cafe & Grill on 4th Street

After nearly five years in business, Village Cafe & Grill has closed at 128 E. Fourth St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue. 

The modest breakfast-and-lunch spot shuttered Saturday. It was one of the few places left where you could still grab two eggs on a roll and a small coffee for under $5 — and be out the door in minutes. 

The arrival last spring of the glossier Mayberry Marketplace on the southwest corner of First Avenue and Fourth Street likely didn’t help matters.