
[EVG file photo]
Earlier last month, we heard that A.K. Shoe Repair on East Ninth Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue was facing a rent increase, which would leave the proprietor, Albert, either finding a new space or closing the shop that he took over from his father.
Unfortunately, the shop closed for good yesterday.
DNAinfo had more details about the situation here in an article titled "Cobbler Craft Dying Out As Rents Rise, Cheap Shoes Proliferate, Skills Wane."
In the case of A.K. Shoe Repair, Albert P. says his landlord plans to more than double the monthly rent for his space at 350 E. 9th St. from $2,000 to $4,500. Adding that to the cost of electricity and gas, $500 a month, and the price of a month's supplies, $1,500, the price of keeping his business open would amount to roughly $270 a day. With those expenses, it's no easy task to turn a profit charging no more than $20 for rubber heel replacements.
Previously on EV Grieve:
A.K. Shoe Repair needs a new home