Rabbit Books and Bar ready for its grand opening on Avenue A

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy

Rabbit Books and Bar is set for its grand opening Saturday (tomorrow!) at 8 a.m. at 170 Avenue A on the southeast corner of 11th Street. 

The mother-daughter-owned bookstore and bar comes from Marianna Vaidman Stone and her daughter, Emily Samara Stone, who previously told us they envisioned the space as a neighborhood gathering place inspired in part by Parisian book cafes.

We stopped by for a sneak peek as the team was putting the finishing touches on the space — installing signage, setting up the bar, unpacking boxes, and even doing a dry run of the ribbon-cutting.

The finished space is inviting, with an elegant palette of jewel tones and plenty of tucked-away nooks with tufted banquette seating where you can settle in with a book. (You'll forget this was previously a 7-Eleven.)

The shelves include the expected categories — sci-fi, international fiction and romance among them — alongside some less conventional ones: "books too big to fit on our other shelves," "not for kids" kids' books, "blind date with a book" and "cats of Tokyo."

There are literary touches throughout, including a bathroom hidden behind a bookshelf door and all-gender restrooms wallpapered with pages from books.

The bar will serve wine, beer, frozen rosé, coffee, tea, sodas and sparkling waters. There's also an option to assemble a mix-and-match plate with items such as olives, dried fruit, chips and dips. 

And for kids (or the kid in all of us?), there are Lunchables and Uncrustables. Pastries and other selections will also be available.

Rabbit will be open from 8 a.m. to midnight on Saturday, with grand-opening activities throughout the day. (Find updates on Instagram.) 

The owners are also launching their Founding Readers program. Anyone who visits on Saturday can sign up to become a Founding Reader, which will include access to exclusive offers in the years ahead. 

A mother-daughter-owned bookstore bar is coming to Avenue A

Photos and story by Stacie Joy

The owners behind the incoming Rabbit Books and Bar on Avenue A are introducing themselves to the neighborhood ahead of a targeted mid-July opening.

As previously reported, the bookstore-bar is taking over the former 7-Eleven space at 170 Avenue A on the SE corner of 11th Street. 

Over the weekend, owners Marianna Vaidman Stone and her daughter, Emily Samara Stone, shared more about the project in an Instagram video detailing their backgrounds and how the idea for the business came together.

Marianna, who emigrated from the Soviet Union as a child, said owning a bookstore had been a longtime dream. Emily, meanwhile, worked in kitchens, bakeries and bars before teaming up with her mother on the concept. 

They gave EVG a tour of the under-construction space yesterday.

"My daughter and I are super excited about opening our place soon," Marianna told EVG. "It's going to be a personal experience for customers. We're going to be in there all the time."

The two said they were drawn to the former 7-Eleven space because of its layout, large windows and corner location.

"When you know, you know," Emily said. "It felt good here. We could envision it. We're offering a third space."

Rabbit Books and Bar will include a small bar and space for book clubs and community gatherings centered around reading and conversation. 

Marianna said the shop will also have a focus on international fiction and global stories.

The space is expected to open at 8 a.m. daily with coffee, tea, matcha and pastries, then transition into evening service with beer, wine, soju cocktails, and vermouth. 

Hours are expected to run until midnight on weekends and 11 p.m. on weeknights. 

And as for the news that Barnes & Noble is also opening across Avenue A later this year? 

They were gracious in their responses.

 

"I’m glad that bookstores are having a resurgence," Marianna said. "More bookstores are good."

Emily added, "I think people want to consume in ways that are good for them, and we will welcome Barnes & Noble shoppers with open arms."

Week in Grieview

Posts this past week included (with a spring look on 7th Street by Derek Berg)...

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

• Allan Dabrio Marrero released from ICE custody, reunited with husband at Middle Church on 7th Street (May 5) 

• Two Boots Pizza is moving — but staying in the East Village (May 5) 

• Hekate Café & Elixir Lounge closing amid rising competition in sober bar scene (May 6) 

• Sal's Deli & Grocery reopens on 13th and B (May 4) 

• Man shot on 7th Street and Avenue D; suspect at large (May 7) 

• Woman unharmed after reported domestic hostage situation on 8th Street (May 4) 

• Report: 4 East Village buildings tied to foreclosure filings (May 7) 

• Book Club Bar closing briefly for refresh as Bushwick location opens (May 4) 

• Genre is Death and the art of 'Noizz' (May 8) 

• Tacos Domingo is bringing its first U.S. outpost to 1st Avenue and St. Mark's Place (May 8) 

• Openings: Café Skye on 14th Street (May 7) … Taqueria Emilio 4 on Avenue B (May 5) … Singapore Social NYC on Avenue A (May 4) 

• Remembering a familiar presence on Broadway and Astor Place (May 4) 

• First signs of life at the former 7-Eleven on Avenue A (May 6) 

• Former Mark Rothko residence on 6th Street reemerges as luxury condo (May 7) 

• A new exhibition draws on the spirit of the juke joint at March gallery on Avenue A (May 9) 

• And now! Your Sephora signage on 3rd Avenue and St. Mark’s Place (May 8) 

• As the chain stores turn on Astor Place (May 4) 

• Double Zero returns to 2nd Avenue (May 4) 

... and from Cinco de Mayo, San Loco owners Jill and Kimo Hing outside the Avenue C location... (photo by Stacie Joy)

First signs of life at the former 7-Eleven on Avenue A

Photo Friday by Stacie Joy 

There's ongoing activity at 170 Avenue A and 11th Street, the former 7-Eleven slated to become a café and bookstore. 

Work permits approved in March call for interior renovations to prepare the space for a new retail tenant. The applicant was approved for a beer-and-wine license back in December. And someone recently cleared the tags/graffiti from the storefront — the most visible sign of movement here in a while. 

As previously reported, plans on file with Community Board 3 describe a European-style book café — a gathering space for readings, book clubs and conversations around literature and current events. 

The proposed setup included 34 seats (tables and a bar), a light café menu (pastries, sandwiches, charcuterie, desserts), and background music with occasional acoustic performances. 

Owner Marianna Vaidman Stone has said she's aiming to create a welcoming neighborhood spot. No timeline for an opening.

The 7-Eleven closed in November 2024 after 11 years. The owner told EVG's Stacie Joy that rampant theft was the cause of the closure. 

 Previously on EV Grieve: 

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

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.