Several EVG readers have shared photos of the recent storefront transformation on the southwest corner of West 16th Street and Union Square West ...
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3jGCeAvz8NEgbk7xu90qZkm6TtJL_BG72L6cEnaG7kdWKnPCpS2XJijnclVkOkD9uhqAE-pAfQffFdB_pj05KM6-rBlTcGmIMall4jaJUp_rhtdxhBJQOz1YXjrA5CZFp_R6oX9cqNK8/s530/IMG_9089.jpg)
The Coffee Shop closed here in October 2018 after 28 years in business. As you may already know, the Chase branch opened on Dec. 17 ... along with Chase-partnered Joe Coffee. There's also another vegan quick-serve outpost of by CHLOE on the 16th Street side.
Gothamist has been documenting — here and here and here — the blandification of the space, which saw the removal of the classic neon Coffee sign.
How to murder a mid century facade. Thanks @Chase cc @evgrieve pic.twitter.com/0j17pHnyR9
— terrence (@artisanmatters) December 13, 2019
So much for @Chase bank keeping any of the iconic Coffee Shop signage 😢 #unionsquare @evgrieve @Gothamist pic.twitter.com/Rc8ks1wpAU
— deb kadetsky (@harobed8) December 7, 2019
As for the sign, it disappeared after 8 p.m. on Dec. 5...
@evgrieve Coffe Shop sign coming down? pic.twitter.com/r3RoF9YarN
— Alex G (@agorm13) December 6, 2019
No one seems to have any idea what happened to the sign, which predated the coffee shop.
Some signage history via Robert Sietsema at Eater:
Coffee Shop replaced an actual coffee shop called Chase but retained the coffee shop’s old neon sign that climbed the corner of the building, which said Coffee Shop in a gigantic font. In fact, it was probably one of the first places to “steal” the identity of a previous establishment, imbuing the neon sign with a certain irony.
Jeremiah Moss has more about the space here.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvU0nsQcx0kcuJ3dGM5rU15iQkskbvLDAo8yfjqJ2k48puvFeDg2-9Dyfb-oW74kU1nJP5yPqUTRGO30ptG4A5LzGejPKBFnqGcKMKpyFgVWffDKA5Sz18178RW7t34jCekJe6vN4yI_E/s530/44434922_2238129986262339_6168039616533233664_n.jpg)
[Photo via Jeremiah Moss]