Openings: Not as Bitter brings the fresh fruit lattes to 10th Street

A new venture called Not as Bitter debuts today at 241 E. 10th St., just west of First Avenue. 

According to its website, the coffee shop specializes in coffee and lattes with fresh fruit. ("Yes, you heard that right. Fresh fruit, espresso, and milk? It's pretty darn unique if we say so ourselves.")

NAB is open daily from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. You can check them out on Instagram here. 

The previous retail space here was the dessert shop Snowdays.

Openings: A'more Caffè on 2nd Street at Avenue A

Photos by Stacie Joy 

A'more Caffè is now open at 150 E. Second St. on the NE corner of Avenue A. (Arrival first reported here.)

The small shop with a handful of seats offers a variety of hot and iced coffees and teas ... (signage says they use organic Arabica beans roasted in Long Island City...) 

For now, A'more Caffè is open Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. You can follow them on Instagram at this link.

Openings: Cafe Sandra on First Avenue

Cafe Sandra debuted last week at 194 First Ave. between 11th Street and 12th Street... with the food service arriving on Saturday (they were serving a nice looking tomato ricotta danish, among other items like breakfast burritos and sandwiches) ...

The mural is of Sandra, the chef here...

Sandra and Jake, her business partner, previously ran O Cafe on Sixth Avenue and 12th Street. Cafe Sandra is their first space as owners. 

They are open daily from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Find their menu at the Cafe Sandra website at this link. 

The previous tenant, Space 194, a hybrid tea-coffee shop-gallery, closed in early 2020 after nearly a year in service.

Thank you to Lola Sáenz for these photos!

Coffee shop slated for 194 1st Ave.

Updated June 2: Cafe Sandra is now open!

A coffee shop called Cafe Sandra has signed a lease at 194 First Ave. between 11th Street and 12th Street.

Cafe Sandra already has a website. And despite what the site states, they are not yet open for business. The storefront is empty.

The previous tenant, Space 194, a hybrid tea-coffee shop-gallery, closed in early 2020 after nearly a year in service.

The address was previously the Neptune. The Polish-American diner shut down in December 2016 after 15 years in business. After their departure, the landlord divided up the restaurant into two storefronts.

Photo by Steven. H/T Upper West Sider!

Lease termination notice at Third Rail Coffee; Future You Cafe has closed

An EVG reader points us to legal documents on the door at Third Rail Coffee on 10th Street just west of Second Avenue ... there is a Notice of Termination...



The paperwork states that rent is due for April, May and June on the storefront, an amount that totals nearly $26,000. Third Rail Coffee had closed at the start of the NY PAUSE in March.

Not sure how all this might play out: Gov. Cuomo announced in May that he had extended the state’s eviction moratorium through August, though critics have said the new version of the order is weaker, and favors landlords.

Per City Limits:

[T]enant and housing advocacy groups say the fine print of that order will allow for eviction proceedings to move forward through the New York courts e-filing system, increasing the burden of proof on tenants to show they could not pay rent because of COVID-19 related financial hardship.

Meanwhile, in other coffee-related news, Future You Cafe is officially closed on Seventh Street between Avenue A and First Avenue...



Owner Roberto Levinson, who opened the shop here in November 2018, announced the decision to close at the end of May on Instagram.

As the economy is slowly reopening, I have taken a lot of time to carefully assess the current situation, including the health risks involved, as well as the economic hardships most businesses in our industry are going through. After carefully deliberating for weeks, it is with great sadness I must announce our decision not to reopen.

787 Coffee now open on 7th Street

View this post on Instagram

Ready! We are OPEN for business! 131 E. 7th st. East Village, NYC.

A post shared by 787 Coffee Co. (@787coffee) on Oct 2, 2018 at 7:06am PDT

787 Coffee debuted yesterday at 131 E. Seventh St. near Avenue A.

Here's what to expect from their beans, via a preview at Bedford and Bowery:

787 grows, processes, and roasts their coffee, all on a chemical-free farm atop a mountain in Puerto Rico, with the goal of restoring the island’s coffee crop to the level of success it previously enjoyed.

787 previously had an outpost in the now-closed Market NYC on Houston at Mulberry. The Seventh Street cafe will now serve as 787's flagship location.

Read more about 787 here.

No. 131 was previously home to Shervin's Cafe for several years.

Previously on EV Grieve:
787 Coffee for 7th Street

787 Coffee for 7th Street

You may have noticed the recent work going on inside 131 E. Seventh St. near Avenue A. It looks as if a cafe is going into the space.

There's now a "barista wanted" sign on the front door... with 787 Coffee in the address...



The Puerto Rican-based coffee company currently has an outpost at 290 Mulberry St.

The space was previously home to Shervin's Cafe for several years.

Saltwater NYC bringing Australian coffee to 12th Street

[Image via @Saltwaternyc]

A coffee shop called Saltwater NYC is coming soon to 345 E. 12th St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue... adjacent to Pata Negra.

The teaser site for the shop simply notes "Australian Coffee Culture." The window signage notes an August opening.

No. 345 previously served as a to-go spot for S'Mac two storefronts away.

The former Russian Souvenirs will become a coffee shop on East 14th Store

The plywood arrived last week outside the former Russian Souvenirs shop on East 14th Street between Second Avenue and Third Avenue.

The work permits say that a coffee shop is in the works...



Unfortunately, there isn't any other information at the moment about who the tenant will be.

Curious what will become of the former signage. I always liked this one. (Maybe it will become the Russian Souvenirs Coffee Shop? Ha.)



The shop specializing in (Russian, duh) tchotchkes closed last July. The proprietor said that his rent had increased.

Previously on EV Grieve:
[Updated] Russian Souvenirs is no more on East 14th Street

Bluebird Coffee Shop has closed on East 1st Street

[Photo by Marjorie Ingall]

Multiple EVG readers noted that Bluebird Coffee Shop has closed on East First Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue.

The note on the door says that the shop will reopen with new ownership and a new identity.

If the space remains a coffee shop... then it will be the third coffee spot here in the past six years. The Bluebird Coffee Shop opened in November 2009 ... and in late 2011 the folks behind Ditmas Park-based Cafe Madeline took over the space.

It's a competitive little area for coffee... you have Juicy Lucy on one side... and Juice Press on the other (JP sells cold-brewed coffee and a few lattes)... and Mudspot Café/Mud Park right across the street.

H/t @seancarlson

New cafe roundup

[Photo by Stacie Joy]

Here's a quick look at several new cafes that have opened in recent weeks ... starting with Matcha Cafe Wabi (above), which debuted last month at 233 E. Fourth St. near Avenue B.

Other new offerings include Cafe Silan at 280 E. 10th St. between Avenue A and First Avenue...



... aside from dairy-free ice cream, DF Mavens has coffee, tea, sandwiches and baked goods at 37 St. Mark's Place at Second Avenue...



... Spot Dessert Shoppe at 5 St. Mark's Place near Third Avenue is now open and serving things like waffles, crepes and various hot and cold drinks ...



... and coming very soon — C&B Cafe at 178 E. Seventh St. just west of Avenue B...

Honey House, now serving coffee on East 11th Street

A new coffee shop opened this week at 334 E. 11th Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue.

The place is so new, there isn't a sign yet outside.

EVG reader Jake Seliger stopped by Honey House yesterday, and shared these photos with us. His take?

"The space is small — somewhere between Abraço and Third Rail — but has a few seats," he reported. "They're supposed to get pastries in the next couple days."

EVG reader Russ also stumbled by the place, and liked the vibe. The owner, who previously ran the clothing boutique at this location, was hanging LP covers on the wall. He will eventually bring in a record player to listen to the vinyl.




[Photo by EVG reader Russ]

Reader mailbag: Where are the best coffee shops with WiFi in the East Village?

From an EVG reader:

Can you ask readers to weigh in on the best coffee shops in the neighborhood with WiFi? Please help!

OK!

So I can't help … I only know about the places with good Fax machines.

Anyone? Coffee and WiFi?

-------------

We often get reader queries ... asking for help with, say, donating clothes or books ... or finding an East Village-based caterer... If you have a question for the masses, then try the EV Grieve email...

Previously on EV Grieve:
Reader mailbag: Places to eat that have that old East Village vibe (45 comments)

Reader mailbag: What do I do about my new neighbors who smoke pot all the time? (52 comments)

Reader mailbag: Where is a good place to get a cup of coffee in the East Village before 6 a.m.? (25 comments)

Reader mailbag: What has happened to the Cooper Station Post Office? (41 comments)

Reader mailbag: Can the landlord 'drill' the lock to gain access to my apartment for simple repairs? (15 comments)

Reader mailbag: Should we receive a rent abatement for having sporadic heat and hot water?

Reader mailbag: How often does your mail get delivered?

[Updated] Madman Espresso now open on East 14th Street

On Monday, EVG reader Tony told us that an espresso bar is ready to open at 319 E. 14th St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue ... in space that previously housed a Verizon store.

Tony follows up, noting that Madman Espresso has opened...

Looks like a nice space. Please let us know if you try it.

Updated Jan. 6

Here's a photo of the cafe with its sign...

Reader report: bakery-coffee shop in the works for 68 Avenue A

[Bobby Williams]

Here along the stretch of empty Avenue A storefronts between East Fifth Street and East Fourth Street... a reader tells us that a bakery/coffee shop is in the works for the space with the brown paper over the windows... the cafe will be taking just part of the space left vacant when East Village Pharmacy lost their lease and moved down the block...

The cafe looks to be called Croissanteria at 68 Avenue A... and they're on the August CB3/SLA docket for a beer-wine license ... the meeting will take place on Aug. 20. We'll have more on the August docket later...

What East Village coffee bar/cafe is for sale?

This Craigslist ad popped up yesterday morning:

East Village Coffee Bar/Cafe for Sale << - $159,000 (Manhattan) Attractive and cozy cafe located in East Village for sale. Approx. 750 sq. ft. of attractive space plus a full basement. Newly built out in 2008, including all new electrical, plumbing. custom windows, A/C, security and audio systems. Lots of fridge/freezer/display units, electric stovetop, dual espresso machine, panini grill and much more.

There's a number to call for a business consultant... but no mention of what space is for sale. Any thoughts?

Why the Mosaic Cafe closed

[Dave on 7th]

Yesterday, we reported that Mosaic Cafe had closed on Avenue C between Ninth Street and 10th Street... I asked co-owner Rachel Fuchs what happened. Here's her response, via email:

"Business was going well. Unfortunately, we had to close due to issues with the landlord. We are very upset about the whole situation and love the neighborhood... so hopefully we will be able to relocate in the East Village in the near future."

Mosaic Cafe has closed on Avenue C

Dave on 7th passes along the news that Mosaic Cafe has closed on Avenue C between Ninth Street and 10th Street...

They opened last November, and seemed to be a good neighborhood spot ... The sign left for customers says that they might relocate...