The Community Boutique & Café has closed on 12th Street

After 18 months, the Community Boutique & Café at 515 E. 12th St., between Avenue A and Avenue B, has closed. 

EVG reader lime shared the above photo, noting that they had "the best ube matcha latte in the neighborhood." May 31 was their last day in business.

Upon opening in November 2024, owners Soudavone Khamvongsa and Settareh Barakhshan described their project as "a unique retail and cafe space designed to uplift our community, local makers, and small businesses." 

On the Instagram closing notice, patrons left many kind words, including: "Never forget all the people you brought together, the community you built, and the impact you had on so many of us."

A new landlord took possession of the building in the spring. 

According to PincusCo., Marshall Aronow, David Aronow and Anna Bauder sold No. 515 for $7.2 million to Kings Capital on April 29.

Another inexpensive slice shop bites the dust at 20 Avenue A

Photo by Stacie Joy 

It appears the latest cheap-o pizza concept is kaput at 20 Avenue A. 

Paper now covers the windows at the Italian Slice, which took over for Alphabet 99 Cent Pizza ... and NYC Pizza and Fried Chicken. 

Given there are seven establishments serving liquor on this block between Second Street and Houston, you'd think this might be the SpaceX of late-night dollar-slice joints.

The 3rd Avenue outpost of the Bean has closed

Photos by Stacie Joy 

H/T William Klayer 

Several EVG readers were surprised to find the Third Avenue outpost of the Bean closed for good this past Friday morning. 

Closure notices directed patrons to visit the Bean locations on Second Avenue and Third Street, or on Broadway and Ninth Street. 

There was also an equipment auction here on Saturday...

This branch at 31 Third Ave. at Stuyvesant Street opened in September 2017... taking over the space from St. Mark's Bookshop, which moved out in 2014 after struggling to stay in business here. 

At one point, the coffee shop/cafe had five NYC locations.

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.