5 Napkin Burger closes on 3rd Avenue and 14th Street

After nearly 10 years on the SW corner of 14th Street and Third Avenue, 5 Napkin Burger has closed... signage on the front door points would-be patrons to other locations of the chainlet...

The burger joint opened here in February 2012... and in the summer of 2019, downsized the space, which became 5 Napkin Burger Express for two years ... which became Tamam Falafel, which closed at the end of 2021. (Both 5 Napkin and Tamam Falafel share the same ownership.)

This space was previously home to Robin Raj Discount Health & Beauty Aids (that seems like a long time ago!). 

There will be some speculation about the future of this high-profile corner with single-story structures — seemingly ripe for development. Not sure what kind of air rights there might be with the newer 21-floor 110 Third Ave. on one side and NYU's 17-floor Palladium Hall on the other.

Thanks to all the EVG readers who shared this news!

Updated: Flashback to the 1980s and Disco Donut here

All-new 15 Avenue A REVEALED; Roberta's outpost slated for the retail space

Late last week, workers removed the scaffolding and construction netting from the under-renovation 15 Avenue A... here's a look at the taller building now between First Street and Second Street...

As previously reported, the currently vacant building received a vertical extension with two new floors, moving from four to six... with five residential units (likely condos) in the making.

The new retail tenant is expected to be a wine bar-restaurant from Bushwick-based pizzeria Roberta's. (First reported in September 2019.)

Community Board 3 approved a beer-wine location for the ground floor back in September. The minutes from that meeting show that this Roberta's will have 12 tables and 44 seats with one 12-foot L-shaped bar with four seats. Hours of operation were listed as 11 a.m. to midnight, with "Italian food (pizza, pasta, and salumi) prepared in a full kitchen, serving food during all hours of operation, no televisions, and ambient recorded background music."

The retail space at 15 Avenue A was previously the Family Dental Center, which moved down to Essex Street in 2017. The building changed hands in early 2018 for $4.3 million, per public records. Z+G Property Group is the landlord.

Healthy Choice set to debut today on Avenue A and Sixth Street

Healthy Choice, the deli-market that we've been writing about in recent months, is scheduled to open today on the SW corner of Avenue A and Sixth Street. (Updated: They did NOT open today as planned. Updated 2: Certified open as of Jan. 19.)

EVG contributor Stacie Joy got a look inside over the weekend...

As you can see, there's a variety of breakfast options, sandwiches, burgers and other items on the menu (click on the image for more detail) ...

Management was still determining the hours of operation. Will update when those are set. 

This is the first retail tenant for the corner space since Benny's Burritos closed here on Nov. 29, 2014.

Roosting soon on 14th Street: Wingstop makes it signage official

Signage is up for Wingstop in the renovated storefronts along 428 E. 14th St. between First Avenue and Avenue A. (Previously reported in September here.) 

Wingstop, the aviation-themed chain specializing in chicken wings, joins the European Wax Center and Gorillas, the on-demand grocery delivery startup, in these mall-like retail spaces. 

No. 428 has been undergoing a gut renovation ... the previous retail tenants were, in part, victims of the L-train work along this corridor. 

Coddiwomple debuts on 1st Ave.

An outpost of Coddiwomple is now open at 213 First Ave. between 12th Street and 13th Street. (They debuted this past weekend with a sandwich giveaway). 

This is the third location (following the Upper East Side and Hell's Kitchen) for the brand with the tagline: "Travel By Sandwich™️ Internationally inspired sandwiches made with local ingredients." 

Sandwiches include the Roman Holiday (prosciutto, mozzarella, pesto, fresh tomatoes, arugula and balsamic vinaigrette on ciabatta) and the Savannah Smash (chicken salad — pulled breast with secret mayo dressing — and avocados on warm baguette). Find their menu here. 

The EV location will have a dine-in option, per the Coddiwomple Instagram account.

Monday's parting shot

Photo in Tompkins Square Park today by Derek Berg...

Best wishes to Chef Ronny at Nón Lá Vietnamese Kitchen

Regulars of Nón Lá Vietnamese Kitchen at 128 E. Fourth St. may have noticed a missing presence this year at the restaurant between First Avenue and Second Avenue. 

Ronny Nguyen, who runs Nón Lá with his son Tommy, was rushed to the hospital on Christmas Eve. Here's more from a recent Instagram post:

After experiencing some pain in his side, he spent 11 days at Staten Island University Hospital with a team of doctors and his family by his side. He's now home and on the road to recovery.

There's a GoFundMe to help with medical expenses here. 

Thankfully, his health is improving.

Chef Ronny's recovery has been going well, and he's slowly getting back to his old self. You might even see him pop in and out of the restaurant if you're in the East Village!

Nón Lá is open for takeout/delivery from noon to 9:30 p.m. You can find their menu here. ... The number: (917) 388-3321. 

The restaurant opened here in December 2020.

For your convenience: NYC Convenience coming soon to 13th Street

A new convenience store is in the works for 236 E. 13th St. between Second Avenue and Third Avenue. 

Thanks to EVG readers Mark Cox for the top pic... and Hubs for this photo...

Presumably, this is your standard deli-market (it has some gift-shop vibes too, eh?).

As Hubs noted, the storefront takes over for the longtime real-estate office... and the market-deli explosion here continues... 

Sunday's parting shot

We've lost the lights on the bottom half of the Tompkins Square Park holiday tree ... kinda back where we started last month. 

Photo by Steven...

A collision on the FDR at 10th Street

EVG reader Michael Kramer shared these photos from this afternoon... where he came across the aftermath of a collision on the southbound FDR at 10th Street that caused this vehicle to overturn ...

The Citizen app reported that two people in the vehicle were transorted to the hospital... no word on their condition...

Monday night movie classics coming to the Village East by Angelika

The Village East by Angelika is launching a monthly "iconic classics" series on Monday nights at the theater on 12th Street and Second Avenue.

Up first: "2001: A Space Oddessy" in 70mm ... in the large Jaffe Art auditorium ... showing two times tomorrow night: 7 and 10:15.

Upcoming films include "Breakfast at Tiffany's" (Feb. 14), the Spencer Tracy and Ingrid Bergman version of "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" (March 14) and "The Wizard of Oz" (April 11).

Find tickets and showtimes at this link. 

Week in Grieview

Posts this past week included (with a photo of a large mulch mound in Tompkins Square Park by Steven) ...

 • Fire destroys Essex Card Shop on Avenue A (Monday) ... Scenes from the fire at 47 Avenue A (Monday) ... Information about a crowdfunding campaign to help the fire-damaged Essex Card Shop (Tuesday) ... Assessing the fire damage at Essex Card Shop (Thursday) 

• Exit9 reopens on Avenue A after fire next door (Thursday) ... Downtown Yarns hopes to reopen in a week (Thursday)

• The March Hare is closing so the owners can focus on health and family (Friday)

• Man shot and killed in shooting inside the Lillian Wald Houses Saturday (Saturday) 

• Sunny's Florist closed until early March (Monday) 

• Lights out: Bulb Concepts has closed on 7th Street (Wednesday) 

• Key Food is no longer open 24/7 (Wednesday) 

• Gallery Watch checks out a new show at The Hole on Walker Street (Saturday) 

• A call to revamp ABC Playground at P.S. 20 on Houston and Essex (Wednesday) 

• Irving Farm New York is opening an outpost on 10th Street (Monday) 

• Solving the Great Santa Claus Mystery of Tompkins Square Park (Wednesday) 

• City finally repairing 6th Street sinkhole (Friday) 

• Another day, another smoke shop reveal in the East Village (Wednesday) 

• Signage alert on the SW corner of Avenue A and 6th Street (Friday) 

• Chip, chip hooray! Video highlights from MulchFest 2022 (Tuesday) 

• LES Convenience is coming soon for your convenience on Avenue A (Monday) 

• Abandoned curbside dining structures attracting more attention on the NE corner of 6th and A (Monday)

As a follow-up to this Friday evening parting shot, in which two local college students tried to remove a Pete Davidson/Rowing Blazers wheatpaste ad on St. Mark's Place...  they shared a photo from their dorm room with Lola Sáenz showing how they fared...

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