EVG Etc.: Essex Crossing lottery opens; Citi Bike vs. winter continues

Crossing Houston at 2nd Avenue the other day 

• There's a Celebration of Life tomorrow (Feb. 7) at 1:15 p.m. for Tara Moran at St. Mark's Church in-the-Bowery. The longtime East Village resident passed away on Jan. 4. She was 71. (Legacy.com) 

• More about the arrest of the suspect in the rape of a 14-year-old in Stuy Town. Some Stuy Town/Peter Cooper residents are faulting management for a tardy response to the attack. (Our Town) ... an NYU angle (Washington Square News) ... previously on EVG

• Frigid-weather death toll hits 17 in NYC (THE CITY)

• NYC tenants are making a record number of complaints to the city about lack of heat and hot water (Gothamist) 

• Affordable housing lottery underway at 115 Delancey St. on the Lower East Side (This PDF has info about applying) 

• Eleven days after the 10 inches of snow, fewer than one-quarter of Citi Bike docks are cleared of snow — a responsibility of Lyft, not the city (Streetsblog). Notably, per Streetsblog: "The current membership fee is 151 percent higher than it was in 2013, while over the same period, inflation has raised prices 37 percent." (EVG photo below from Fourth Street at Second Avenue)

• State Sen. Brian Kavanagh, an East Village resident, will not seek reelection after two decades representing Lower Manhattan in the legislature (City & State) 

• Keith Powers wins the race for the 74th state Assembly District... a seat vacated when Harvey Epstein successfully ran for City Council District 2 (NY1) 

• A look at Odo East Village, a 24-seat, counter restaurant at 536 E. Fifth St. — the former Minca space (Eater) ... we had the scoop about Odo here. 

• There are some great films in this "The Year Begins in Silence" series at Metrograph on Ludlow Street (Official site)

Week in Grieview

Posts this past week included (with a street scene from 7th Street at Avenue B)

Never miss an EVG post with the weekly EVG newsletter. Free right here. 

• When is the tree lighting in Tompkins Square Park this year? (Dec. 1) 

• 2nd man sentenced for East Village assault spree that included Ray’s Candy Store (Dec. 4) 

• Neighbors to rally Sunday to protect Most Holy Redeemer Church (Dec. 6) 

• A new chapter on Avenue A: Café-bookstore proposed for the former 7-Eleven (Dec. 4) 

• Harvey Epstein sworn in as City Council District 2 representative (Dec. 4) 

• Why neighborhood staple Casa Adela will be closed this week (Dec. 1) 

• Cookie Walk returns — with a centennial twist (Dec. 3) 

• Holidays at Metrograph (Dec. 5) 

• Bill Rice’s East Village on view uptown (Dec. 2) 

• The Brant Foundation to host major Keith Haring exhibition next spring on 6th Street (Dec. 2) 

• A sauna-and-cold-plunge pop-up returns to La Plaza Cultural this weekend (Dec. 5) 

• Behold the last full moon of 2025, as seen from Tompkins Square Park (Dec. 4)

• Openings: Godunk on the Bowery (Dec. 3) 

• Surprise Scoop closing on 1st Avenue; skewer concept next? (Dec. 4) … Game over for 8-Bit Bites on 2nd Avenue (Dec. 1) 

• Top Secret Comedy Club makes its U.S. debut on Avenue A (Dec. 1) 

A new chapter on Avenue A: Café-bookstore proposed for the former 7-Eleven

There's a new storyline unfolding at 170 Avenue A and 11th Street, where the former 7-Eleven could – what? — potentially become a Paris-inspired café and bookstore.

According to the application on file at Community Board 3, the space will be modeled after European book cafés that double as gathering places for people who want to "participate in intelligent conversations about history, current events and great works of literature past and present," per a letter to local community groups and block associations. Expect author readings, book clubs and other events. 

The café menu will include breakfast pastries, sandwiches, cheese and charcuterie boards, and desserts. The ground-floor space (2,684 square feet) is slated for eight tables (16 seats) and an 18-seat bar (beer and wine) ... for  34 seats in total. 

Background music will play during the day, with occasional acoustic live performances. Hours are proposed as 8 a.m. to midnight Sunday through Wednesday, and until 1 a.m. Thursday through Saturday. There are no outdoor areas.

The owner, Marianna Vaidman Stone, a lifelong New Yorker with a JD from NYU Law and a background in city government and nonprofit work, says she aims to create a welcoming neighborhood spot.

She previously tried for space on Bleecker Street near the Bowery, but those plans didn't move forward.

Community Board 3's Licensing & Outdoor Dining Committee will hear this and other applications Monday evening at 6:30. 

The 7-Eleven closed last November after 11 years. The owner told EVG's Stacie Joy that rampant theft was the cause of the closure. 

Before its transformation into a suburban convenience store, the SE corner of Avenue A and 11th Street was home to Bar on A, which closed in August 2012.

Inspiration from a former 7-Eleven storefront

As seen on the for-rent 170 Avenue A at 11th Street: "Try new shit."

Week in Grieview

Posts this past week included (with a photo from the Seventh Street side of Tompkins Square Park)...

• Flood gate demo offers a glimpse of future protection along the East River (Monday) 

• Check out the updates coming to the Key Food on Avenue A (Tuesday)

• A look inside the former Fireboat House in East River Park as it faces an uncertain future (Wednesday)

• New photo book explores the punk heart of Tompkins Square Park (Thursday) 

• Black Seed Bagels is closing its East Village location (but don't count out a return someday) (Friday)

• This is when the Whole Foods Market Daily Shop will debut in the East Village next month (Thursday)

• Dig this: 1st Avenue pit stop (Monday) 

• Openings: Sky High Club on Avenue C (Tuesday) 

• Videos: 4 minutes on St. Mark's Place in the 1980s (Saturday) 

 • Wisteria watch '25 (Friday) 

• Misoya closes Sunday on 2nd Avenue (Friday) 

• Unapologetic Foods has moved on from 82 2nd Ave. for its kebab house concept (Wednesday)

• Signage alert: The Hood Spot Convenience on Avenue D (Wednesday) 

• Signage alert: Revival Dog Training on 7th Street (Tuesday)

• On Avenue D, Food City Market closes (Monday) 

• Another former East Village 7-Eleven hits the rental market (Thursday) 

• Signage alert: Bar Bianchi on Avenue A at Houston (Monday) 

... and a bonus photo from Chinatown — Division at Eldridge from Thursday...

Another former East Village 7-Eleven hits the rental market

Five months after closing on the SE corner of Avenue A and 11th Street, the former 7-Eleven has arrived on the rental market. 

The broker's signage mentions that the space is avaiable for restaurant or retail use. The online listing states that "all uses considered" for the 2,800-square-foot space.

The 7-Eleven closed after 11 years. The owner told EVG's Stacie Joy that rampant theft was the cause for the closure.

The corner space was previously Bar on A, and the mystery 11th Street side was Angels & Kings, Pete Wentz's former emo hang. 

Meanwhile, the former 7-Eleven on the Bowery remains on the rental market. 

And what are the other two former East Village 7-Elevens now? 

The space at 37 St. Mark's Place is Reiwatakiya, which sells lifestyle and beauty products from Japan and Korea. And at 239 E. 14th St., the old 7-Eleven is in use by the Upright Citizens Brigade to teach comedy classes — because nothing teaches timing like a place that used to be open 24/7! 

Previously on EV Grieve: 

• The Avenue A 7-Eleven is now closed. The reason why may not surprise you. 

• Angels & Kings closed; did anyone notice?

Week in Grieview

Posts this past week included (with a sign of spring in Tompkins Square Park Wednesday — a set by Federico of Pinc Louds. Photo by Derek Berg.) 

• After nearly 40 years, Sixth Street Specials prepares for its final ride in the East Village (Thursday) 

• Lori McLean has decided to close her East Village jewelry shop (Tuesday) 

• An evening to celebrate the life of Anton 'Munch' Albert at Tom & Jerry's (Thursday) 

• An early spring report from 97 St. Mark's Place (Wednesday)

• Staggering toward the April 1 start of outdoor dining in NYC (Wednesday) 

• Pink Olive set for East Village return (Friday) 

 

• 'The Jonathan Larson Project' is ending its run early at the Orpheum Theatre (Saturday) 

• You can get this fresh-baked bread at Foxface Natural on Avenue A (Thursday) 

• Milk Bar's East Village outpost closed (Wednesday) 

• Former corner market has been a Hive of activity this week (Thursday) ... Yummy Hive post mortem (Monday) 

• Signage alert: Deli Delights & Waffle Wonders on Avenue A (Wednesday) • St. Patrick's Day (night) at Casey Rubber Stamps (Tuesday)

• Another 1 Bites the crust: A French twist for the Bite space on 14th Street (Tuesday) 

• Openings: Krave It on 2nd Avenue (Monday) 

• Rent a former 7-Eleven on the Bowery (Tuesday) 

 ... and on the first day of spring on Thursday, a double discard on Second Avenue — one from 2023 and the other from 2024?

Rent a former 7-Eleven on the Bowery

A for-lease sign arrived last week at the former 7-Eleven at 351 Bowery.

The convenience store closed in November here between Third Street and Fourth Street after 13 years of serving Slurpees® and Buffalo Chicken Rollers.  

The Bowery store opened in December 2011. It was the first of four to open in the East Village, ushering in a wave of storefront suburbanization that repelled some residents. Now, they have all shuttered.

This was also the first retail tenant in the 52 E. Fourth St. condoplex. The Katz & Associates website has not yet listed it.

The former 7-Eleven on Avenue A and 11th Street, which also closed in November, isn't listed for rent and is being used as a canvas.

The 10 most-viewed EVG posts from 2024

From January, an early morning view on 14th Street 

In this season of the listicle, we present the 10 most-viewed EVG posts from 2024. As always, crime stories and closures attract the most clicks. 

Thank you for reading this past year. A happy and healthy 2025 to you and yours!

• NYPD releases images of suspect in Astor Place slashing (June 8) 

• The Avenue A 7-Eleven is now closed. The reason why may not surprise you. (Nov. 12) 

• When a Dodge Charger drove down the sidewalk on 2nd Street during a high-speed chase (May 4)

• Kushner unloads more East Village apartment buildings (Oct. 10) 

• Lower East Side indie mainstay Rockwood Music Hall abruptly closes, musicians say (Nov. 11)

• Observations on the growing humanitarian crisis with asylum seekers in the East Village (Jan. 16)

• Trump sculpture draws attention on 2nd Street (and elsewhere) (Nov. 1) 

• The Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade will go on — or will it? Why no one seems to know. (Oct. 15) 

• [Updating] 2 people shot in Tompkins Square Park (March 16) 

• Baseball bats, fisticuffs and broken windows: A bonkers fight escalates as man drives car onto the sidewalk on 3rd Avenue (Oct. 10)

Week in Grieview

Posts this past week included (with a photo by Derek Berg of the mural for "A Complete Unknown" on Ludlow and Delancey)... 

• Report of a fire at 328 E. 9th St. (Saturday) 

• City launches community engagement campaign for '100% affordable housing' on 9th Precinct parking lot (Thursday) 

• St. Marks Veterinary Hospital is closing this month (Wednesday) 

• Scrooged: 14th Street Trader Joe's employees say their hours are being cut this holiday season (Thursday) 

• Strand employees reach tentative agreement, return to work pending ratification vote (Wednesday) ... Strand Books employees go on strike in bid to increase minimum-wage salaries (Monday)

• At Day 1 of the Cookie Walk (Sunday) 

• At the 33rd annual Tompkins Square Park Holiday tree lighting (Monday) 

• The curbside dining structure is coming down at Il Posto Accanto (Tuesday) 

• Openings: Noona's Ice Cream & Bakeshop (Wednesday) 

• Lower East Side cafe puts a Pause on laptops and iPads (Tuesday) • 9 Bleecker St. is for sale — and rent (Wednesday) 

• The former Rockwood Music Hall is for rent on the Lower East Side (Monday)

• Checking in on the former 7-Eleven on Avenue A (Monday) 

• This place on 1st Avenue is going to be Bananas (Tuesday)

• Signage alert: Tipsy Shanghai on 2nd Avenue (Thursday) ... Tiki Tiki on 1st Avenue (Monday) 

 ... and a few days later — Blowin' in the Wind...

Checking in on the former 7-Eleven on Avenue A

The 7-Eleven on the SE corner of Avenue A and 11th Street has been closed for nearly a month now... and it looks longer based on the number of tags on the storefront...

The franchise owner blamed rampant theft for the closure. 

And in case you are wondering how the vacant Avenue A storefront compares to the 7-Eleven that closed the same week on the Bowery between Third Street and Fourth Street (all photos from Saturday) ...

We haven't spotted retail listings for either space yet.

6 posts from November

A mini month in review... 

• A new community fridge for the East Village (Nov. 21) 

• $400,000 revamp planned for the Tompkins Square Park Dog Run (Nov. 20)

• After over 50 years, Ludlow Garage on the Lower East Side to close its doors (Nov. 14) 

• The Avenue A 7-Eleven is now closed. The reason why may not surprise you. (Nov. 12) 

• Lower East Side indie mainstay Rockwood Music Hall abruptly closes, musicians say (Nov. 11) 

• At the sneak preview of Mary O's Irish Soda Bread Shop on 7th Street (Nov. 10)

Week in Grieview

Posts this past week included (with a message on Second Avenue) ... 

• After over 50 years, Ludlow Garage on the Lower East Side to close its doors (Thursday) 

• Lower East Side indie mainstay Rockwood Music Hall abruptly closes, musicians say (Monday) 

• When is the 2024 Cookie Walk? (Wednesday) 

• On Monday, the Ukrainian Museum will open with free entry to mark 1,000 days of resilience (Saturday)

 

• The Avenue A 7-Eleven is now closed. The reason why may not surprise you. (Tuesday) ... And then there 0 — the last of the 4 East Village 7-Elevens is closing this week (Wednesday) ... The 7-Eleven on the Bowery has closed (Saturday) 

• Boris & Horton seeks new owner to save East Village cafe despite crowdfunding success (Monday) ... Boris & Horton preparing to close East Village cafe at the end of the month (Tuesday) 

• Knock Out Café bringing coffee, art and yoga to 13th Street (Wednesday) 

• Budget Mart is OPEN on Avenue A (Friday)

• Ben's Deli is really truly ready to reopen SOON (Thursday) 

• Awning alert on the Bowery as Dark Matter Coffee's new cafe comes into view (Monday) 

• Openings: Mary O's Irish Soda Bread Shop (Saturday) 

• A Veteran's Day tribute in StuyTown (Monday) 

• Tipsy Shanghai eyes former Monsieur Vo space on 2nd Avenue (Thursday) 

• Coming attractions: Fomo Momo on 1st Ave. (Monday) 

• Licensed cannabis shop The Flowery blooms on 3rd Avenue (Tuesday) 

• On 13th and A, corner markets come and go (Monday) 

• The Union Square Holiday Market returns (gulp) tomorrow (Wednesday) 

 • Opening alert: Joe's Wine Co. on 3rd Avenue (Tuesday) 

... and if you're a Bluesky person, we set up on that platform this past week...

The 7-Eleven on the Bowery has closed

As expected, the 7-Eleven at 351 Bowery between Third Street and Fourth Street has closed. Workers started dismantling the 13-year-old outpost yesterday, removing and/or covering the signage.

This was the second 7-Eleven to close in the East Village this week. The owner of the Avenue A 7-Eleven blamed the rampant thefts for his store's closure. An employee at the Bowery outpost said: "People — they're breaking things, stealing, scaring away customers at the door." 

The Bowery store opened in December 2011... and it was the first of four to open in the East Village, ushering in a wave of storefront suburbanization that repelled some residents.

The St. Mark's Place outpost closed in 2013, with 14th Street going in 2021.

Also, the outpost that opened at 813 Broadway between 11th Street and 12th Street closed a while ago. 

And then there 0 — the last of the 4 East Village 7-Elevens is closing this week

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

And then there were none. 

After 13 years on the Bowery between Third Street and Fourth Street, the 7-Eleven is closing its doors. 

The posted signage states the store has permanently shuttered, though it was still open for business on Monday.

The cashier on duty said they'd likely be open until Friday. 

Unlike the Avenue A outpost that had been slowly emptied out, there is still a lot of merchandise at the Bowery 7-Eleven...

The owner of the Avenue A 7-Eleven blamed the rampant thefts for his store's closure. 

While an official explanation for the shutter wasn't offered on the Bowery, the cashier told me, "Things are very bad now."

"People — they're breaking things, stealing, scaring away customers at the door," he said while pointing to the entrance where there were several panhandlers. "Very bad."

The Bowery store opened in December 2011... and it was the first of four to open in the East Village, ushering in a wave of storefront suburbanization that repelled some residents. (On Avenue A, the No 7-Eleven group spoke out against the pending arrival of the multinational chain.) 

The St. Mark's Place outpost closed in 2013, with 14th Street going in 2021. 

Seven & I Holdings, the chain's Japan-based parent company, revealed in an earnings report last month that it would close more than 400 "underperforming" stores, CNN reported. The company did not provide a list of store locations, and it wasn't known if the two remaining East Village locations were on the list. 

Tuesday's parting shot

A makeshift memorial for the now-closed (as of yesterday) 7-Eleven on Avenue A 11th Street...thanks to EVG reader James Chambers for the photo!

From the EVG archives: 

• Someone already REALLY misses the Second Avenue Dunkin' Donuts

The Avenue A 7-Eleven is now closed. The reason why may not surprise you.

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

Yesterday, workers began dismantling the 7-Eleven on the SE corner of Avenue A and 11th Street, including painting over the wraparound sign. 

As expected, the store officially closed after 11 years in business.

I spoke with Mr. Singh, who bought the business from the previous owner seven years ago. He was emotional but optimistic about the store's closure. He declined to have photos taken but spoke a bit about his life, his philosophy and faith, and the now-shuttered franchise he licensed on Avenue A. 

Singh, 50, and his wife and kids live in Queens after immigrating from India in the early 2000s. He credits his strong Sikh faith with keeping him optimistic about the future. 

He used to work the overnight shift at Punjabi Deli on Houston Street to save money to buy the franchise. He spoke movingly about his history working his father's land in India by hand, taking care of his family as a breadwinner from his teenage years until now. 

When I asked him why the store was closing, he reiterated what I'd heard on my last visit: rampant theft.

He explained that he is responsible for paying for everything that happens in the store. For example, when two armed robbers stole most of his cigarette packs, he was responsible for the $17 or $18 per pack. He still had to pay the distributor when people shoplifted six-packs of beer. 

While the 7-Eleven parent company covers the store's rent, he pays 51% of every dollar he makes to the parent company. He also rents 7-Eleven machines from them. The Slurpee machine, he said, costs $700 per month to rent, and he has three of them. And when they broke, he had to pay for repairs. He also had to pay payroll, which he said was a high cost for two employees per shift.

He mentions daily shoplifting by kids from a nearby school, plus people who just saunter in, take what they please, and walk out. He said he is not allowed to stop them, and even if his cashier were to run after them and take the purloined items back, they'd be leaving the register unattended to do so. 

They called the police occasionally, though the thieves were always long gone when the officers arrived. 

I asked him what he plans to do next. Singh said he might look at another space in Queens near where he lives. He says he doesn't have ill will or bad feelings toward people and credits his faith in God and the holy book to the fact that things will be alright.

He thanked all the customers who visited the shop over the past seven years and wished everyone well in the future. 

As I was leaving, the third-party contractors were putting paper up on the windows, and we watched them for a minute.

Singh looked at me and said, "I am not afraid of hard work. I have been a hard worker my whole life. God will protect me, and I am not sad."

This is the third 7-Eleven to close in the East Village since 2013. The last one, on the Bowery, will be shutting down next. Look for that post tomorrow.

Week in Grieview

Posts this past week included (with a photo by Louise & Danny)...

• Election Night 2024 (Wednesday) 

• Mixed messages about the future of 7-Eleven on Avenue A (Monday) 

• The return of O'Flaherty's, now on Allen Street for the next month with Matthew Barney & Alex Katz (Thursday) ... At the opening of 'The Bitch' at O'Flaherty's (Saturday) 

• On Sunday, a sneak preview of Mary O's Irish Soda Bread Shop ahead of its Nov. 16 grand opening (Friday) 

• A new East Village vintage clothing store opens, and a cat is the curator (Tuesday) 

• Halloween night with Pretty Sick at Bowery Ballroom (Monday) 

• B Cup Café is on the move on Avenue B (Tuesday) 

• About the Community Boutique & Café, an inclusive gathering place on 12th Street (Thursday) 

• It's not just you — the whole area smells like smoke. Here's why. (Saturday) 

• More stabilization work at the former P.S. 64/Charas/El Bohio Community Center (Thursday) 

• 325 E. 14th St., sells and farewell to the Crocodile Lounge sidewalk awning (Monday) 

• Owner of 2 Brooklyn restaurants taking over the Lollo space on Avenue B (Thursday)

• Coming attractions: Mrs. Green on 14th Street (Tuesday) 

• Renovations underway at the former Boulton & Watt (Thursday)

• The former Houston Village Farm is for rent (Tuesday) 

• A bad sign at the Sunflower East Village on 2nd Street (Monday) 

• Stuffed closes and the owners promise 'a brand new, never seen before' ice cream concept (Monday)

Also, this past week, workers removed the sidewalk bridge from Third Street and Avenue A (part of the ongoing work at the First Houses).

Also! The Budget Mart on A between Second and Third is expected to open SOON (photo below by Stacie Joy).

Mixed messages about the future of 7-Eleven on Avenue A

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

Late last week, we received reader reports that the 7-Eleven was closing this coming week on the SE corner of Avenue A and 11th Street — the information coming from a manager. 

The closing wouldn't come as a complete shock, as Seven & I Holdings, the chain's Japan-based parent company, revealed in an earnings report last month that it would close more than 400 "underperforming" stores, CNN reported. The company did not provide a list of store locations. 

While we don't know if this outpost underperforms, two other 7-Elevens in the East Village — St. Mark's Place and 14th Street — have closed since 2013. 

We stopped by on Saturday, and as the readers told us, the store is pretty empty — looking ready to shutter.

However, the employees on duty said they were NOT closing.

The employees, who preferred not to give their names, consented to photos. They said a pipe burst in the ceiling and they had a flood, which is why everything is in trashbags and boxes.

One of the employees said that the rent, which was $16,000 (the store opened in October 2013), was now $40,000. 

He also said that people come in and steal all day, every day. He said, "Mothers steal, kids steal. They steal Red Bulls, they steal hot food. They steal cups, candy, and anything they can get their hands on. The police do nothing. Nothing. They don't care. And if they do come and arrest someone, he's out later that day and back here stealing again. Some guys they steal in here, four, five times a day." 

While I was here, two people asked if the store was closing. 

There was a lot of pushback from local residents before this outpost opened in 2013, including rallies and chalking campaigns via the No 7-Eleven group (which had at least one celebrity endorser).

Openings: Trader Joe's Pronto on Union Square

Photo Friday by Pinch

A one-off store on Union Square opens today for the Trader Joe's brand.

Trader Joe's Pronto is a grab-pay-and-go concept at 138 E. 14th St. at Irving Place (inside TJ's former wine store and steps away from the Trader Joe's at 142 E. 14th St.).

"Trader Joe's Pronto is a one-of-a-kind extension of our store in Union Square," a company spokesperson told EVG. "This additional space allows us to carry more of the products our customers in this neighborhood purchase daily."

The idea is that TJ's shoppers can get items in a hurry for, say, lunch and dinner and not have to wait in longer lines with customers shopping for the week. 

And there aren't any other Prontos planned for now.

The spokesperson said, "We do not have plans to open additional Trader Joe's Pronto markets in New York or elsewhere in the country."

 
TJ's Pronto hours:10 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.

The wine shop, representing the brand's only liquor license in New York State, abruptly closed on Aug. 11, 2022, after 15-plus years in business. Workers here reportedly planned to unionize when the company announced the closure.

Since the shop closed, Trader Joe's has held onto the space for storage at the base of NYU's Palladium Hall. At the time, the company announced that the "space currently used for the wine shop will be used to improve the overall operations of store 540, our grocery store in Union Square." 

In a statement to Gothamist, a company spokesperson said that its decision to close the store had nothing to do with the unionizing efforts. The spokesperson called the outpost an "underperforming wine shop," which anyone who saw the lines out the door disagreed with.

Last fall, EVG readers noticed activity inside the 138 E. 14th St. space, fueling speculation of a wine store comeback. Perhaps they were planning for Pronto.

As CNBC noted in 2021, TJ's founder Joe Coulombe previously ran a chain of convenience stores in California called Pronto Markets, though they couldn't compete against the likes of 7-Eleven.

Updated 4:30 p.m.

The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) released this statement:

"Trader Joe's decision to open a new store in place of its former wine shop, after displacing its former staff without warning, is a giant slap in the face. We are disappointed, but not surprised, to learn that the space has been filled before reopening our shop. While management claims to be searching for a new location to move its successful wine store, they've been content to let its former location lay empty for almost 2 years as an alleged cost-saving measure.

"We believe Trader Joe's is doing everything in its power to prevent a profitable unionized shop from reopening. We refuse to let Trader Joe's continue to get away with their egregious and illegal union-busting tactics."