Signage alert: N25 on St. Mark's Place; YGF Malatang on 3rd Avenue

Top photo by Steven

Signage arrived last week at 27 St. Mark's Place between Second Avenue and Third Avenue for N25, a cafe serving nitro coffee and tea ... and Bánh mì.

This will be the second location for the brand that got its start in Taichung City, Taiwan.

N25 takes over for Gong Cha, yet another bubble tea shop to close along this corridor. 

Signage is up for YGF Malatang at 92 Third Ave. between 12th Street and 13th Street.

Per the brand's Instagram account: "The restaurant specializes in malatang, a type of hotpot very popular in the streets of China, often confused with ramen. But make no mistake, malatang is a totally different concept."

The chain is said to have more than 6,000 outposts in China, Japan and Korea ... this is the first in NYC.

This Third Avenue retail space has been empty for years, since Beijing Express quickly closed in 2019.

Signage alert: Deli Convenience on 1st Avenue; Partea on 14th Street

Pinch shares these new signage photos for two coming-soon retail establishments... for starters, the generic yet descriptive-sounding Deli Convenience is opening on the west side of First Avenue between 13th Street and 14th Street. 

Given the lack of marijuana leaves or weed puns on the sign, it looks like it will be a market-type shop instead of a smoke shop.

Tony's Famous Pizza closed here (No. 231) at the start of the year after 18 months in business. Tony's took over the storefront from Vinny Vincenz, which quietly closed in April 2021 after 18 years of service.

And at 220 E. 14th St. between Second Avenue and Third Avenue ... the Partea signage is up...

As previously noted, this will be the second location for Partea, which started in Flushing. The concept: "Street eats, bubble tea and games in an energetic restaurant inspired by Taiwanese night markets."

As such, the sign highlights claw machines, bubble tea and fried chicken.

The renovated storefront here previously housed Kent's Dumpling House, which went dark last summer.  

Perhaps this bubble tea wasn't up everyone's Alley

That's apparently all for the Alley at 68 Cooper Square (across from Cooper Union) ... earlier this year, a "closed until further notice" sign went up on the front door...

There wasn't any further notice. This address is no longer on the Alley's website... and Google lists them as permanently closed. 

This was the first NYC location for the growing and Instagram-popular Taiwanese bubble tea chain, debuting late in the summer of 2019 to some long lines. There's now an Alley in Flushing.

Night market concept looks to be the life of the Partea on 14th Street

Photo by Steven

A Partea outpost is coming soon to 220 E. 14th St. between Second Avenue and Third Avenue.

This will be the second location for Partea, which started in Flushing. The concept: "Street eats, bubble tea and games in an energetic restaurant inspired by Taiwanese night markets."

The renovated storefront here previously housed Kent's Dumpling House, which went dark last summer.  

Coffee shop slated for this retail space in NYU's Third North dorm

A cafe-coffee shop is in the works for 83 Third Ave. at 12th St. in the base of NYU's Third North dorm.

The sign lists the business as Sammy L Coffee, though we've also seen it as Sammylin Coffee in latte art clips on TikTok. 

For now, the shop is in the hiring stages.

Shiina, a women's boutique selling clothing, accessories and makeup, was the last business in this storefront, closing in the spring of 2019. 

Until Shiina arrived in 2017, the space had been empty for nearly two years after Pushcart Coffee vacated the space. The address was previously home to Just Sweet, which sold bubble tea and desserts.

Chick-In to bring Korean-style chicken to Allen Street

A quick-serve restaurant serving Korean-style chicken is shaping up at 205 Allen St. just south of Houston (and below the Dash Snow mural). 

Don't know too much else about Chick-In. There's an Instagram account, though no posts just yet. 

The space was previously home to Vivi Bubble Tea.

Week in Grieview

Posts this past week included ... (with a photo on 1st Avenue by Derek Berg) ... 

• Acclaimed Adda Indian Canteen relocating to the East Village (Monday) 

• Police looking for 2 suspects in an attack on 2nd Avenue and 4th Street that left victim with a skull fracture (Wednesday) 

• P&T Knitwear, a new bookstore, cafe and podcast studio, opens on Orchard Street (Friday) 

•  'Justice' league: A street co-naming on 6th and Avenue B (Tuesday)

• Guerra Paint is now closed ahead of move to Williamsburg (Tuesday) 

• Amelia and Christo's chicks looking ready to wing it in Tompkins Square Park (Wednesday) 

• Watching the Dance Parade and DanceFest (Sunday) 

• City frees tree entombed in concrete on 3rd Street (Tuesday) 

• Gutting 207 E. 4th St., onetime home of Bob Arihood (Wednesday) 

• Parting spring thoughts on the wisteria of Stuyvesant Street (Thursday) 

• SMØR is opening a bakery (with bread!) on 12th Street (Monday) 

• New open space at DEP site debuts on 4th Street near the Bowery (Thursday) 

• Opening at the 292 Theatre/Gallery: 'Hard Journey in Space and Time' (Monday) 

• Tompkins Square Bagels makes it signage official on Union Square West (Wednesday) 

• The 27th annual Lower East Side Festival of the Arts is this weekend at Theater for the New City (Friday)

• A bubble tea shop for this long-vacant storefront on 14th Street (Monday) 

• Reader report: Empanada Mama opening at the former Papaya Dog space on 14th and 1st (Tuesday) 

• Are you ready to Puff & Pass? (Tuesday) 

• FULL reveal at 118 E. 1st St. (Friday)

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Follow EVG on Instagram or Twitter for more frequent updates and pics.

A bubble tea shop for this long-vacant storefront on 14th Street

Pila de Boba, offering bubble tea, macarons and ice cream, is a new tenant for 328 E. 14th St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue.

The shop was scheduled to open this past Friday, per its Instagram account.

This space — now divided into two storefronts — has been vacant since Artichoke Basille's Pizza relocated across the street in June 2017. Before the move, the pizzeria suffered damage during a two-alarm fire. The FDNY said the fire was accidental — "due to heat from the pizza oven flue."

Various brokers have been trying to lease this space since early 2018. 

Thanks to Steven for the photo, and Pinch for keeping a watchful eye on the space.

Bubbleology Tea has gone out of business on 1st Avenue

The East Village outpost of the London-based Bubbleology Tea chain has closed at 120 1/2 First Ave. between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place. 

Steven shared these photos of the now-empty space, which closed without any notice... (apparently, this happened a few weeks back...)

The outpost opened in February 2019 in a crowded bubble-tea market.

Previously, the landlord here, convicted felon Steve Croman, didn't/wouldn't renew the lease of the International Bar ... which closed in November 2017 before merging with the Coal Yard, down the block.

RIP Molly.

Xing Fu Tang is now open on 2nd Avenue and St. Mark's Place

The Taiwan-based Xing Fu Tang, a bubble tea chain specializing in brown sugar boba, debuted on Saturday on the northwest corner of St. Mark's Place and Second Avenue. 

There was a line (and crowd!) when we walked by around 8 p.m. This is the second NYC location for Xing Fu Tang, joining the one in Flushing.

Our previous post has more about this corner space (133 Second Ave./37 St. Mark's Place) in recent retail years. 

P.S. 

And we don't know if a foot rub is $32 or $36 upstairs. (Someone asked last time about the dueling signs.)

How about some more Smoke & Beer?

Signage (for another) Smoke & Beer shop is up now at 110 Third Ave. between 13th Street and 14th Street. (Thanks Jeanne Krier for the pic!) 

It seeeems like there are a lot of these Smoke & Beer shops around...

Anyway, this one takes over for another ubiquitous business — a bubble tea shop, specifically One Zo, which closed at some point early this summer.

Plywood comes down to reveal Xing Fu Tang on 2nd Avenue and St. Mark's Place

Workers removed the plywood yesterday from the northwest corner of Second Avenue and St. Mark's Place ... providing a FULL reveal of the new tenant, the Taiwan-based Xing Fu Tang, a bubble tea chain specializing in brown sugar boba... (thanks to Steven for the photos!)

No word on an opening date... they are currently hiring...

As noted, bubble tea is rather plentiful already along this corridor. Gong Cha, which describes itself as "one of the most recognized bubble tea brands around the world," recently opened an outpost at 27 St. Mark's Place between Second Avenue and Third Avenue.

Nothing has been able to stick in this corner space in recent years. Nobletree Coffee closed here in May 2019 after just five months in business. This storefront previously sat empty for three years — ever since DF Mavens closed in January 2016 ... after a Dec. 26, 2014 debut. (It took the Mavens 14 months to open the space.) Other past tenants include Eastside Bakery (.net?) and Roastown Coffee.

And the only business to last here in the past 30 years: the Gap, from 1988 to 2001.

New signage day for the NW corner of 2nd Avenue and St. Mark's Place

Workers yesterday started putting up the signage for the new business on this most high-profile of East Village corners — the NW side of Second Avenue and St. Mark's Place.

As previously reported, the Taiwan-based Xing Fu Tang, a bubble tea chain specializing in brown sugar boba, will be setting up shop here...

No word on an opening date...

Nobletree Coffee closed here in May 2019 after just five months in business. This storefront previously sat empty for three years — ever since DF Mavens closed in January 2016 ... after a Dec. 26, 2014 debut. (It took the Mavenators 14 months to open the space.)

Other tenants in recent years include Eastside Bakery (.net?) and Roastown Coffee. And the only business to last here in the past 30 years: the Gap, from 1988 to 2001.

Thanks to Steven for the photos! (And thanks to Jeff and Brian for sending some along as well!)

Week in Grieview

Posts from this past week included (with a nighttime look at the former Jules Bistro on St. Mark's Place)...

• A farewell visit to The Baroness (Thursday) 

• Happy returns: New location of Gaia Italian Café — REVEALED! (Wednesday) 

• RIP Joe the tailor (Tuesday) 

• The Lazy Llama Coffee Bar opens cafe in the First Park kiosk (Monday) 

• Humans of New York inspires an outpouring of support for Dress Shoppe II on 2nd Avenue (Friday) 

• Police seeking possible witness to last week's homicide on 1st Avenue (Thursday) 

• Author Q&A: About the dystopian East Village future of 'Drained' (Friday) 

• Illustrations from the pandemic (Wednesday)

• The Anthology Film Archives returns with in-person screenings on Aug. 5 (Tuesday) 

• Italian favorite Via Della Pace announces itself in new 4th Street home (Monday) 

• Coming soon: Cutlets Sandwich Co. opening an outpost on 3rd Avenue (Monday)

• More details on 2 new fast-casual Indian restaurants from the owners of the Masalawala (Tuesday) 

• Openings: Gia Trattoria on the Bowery; Marufuku Ramen on 2nd Avenue (Thursday) 

• Openings: Yubu on 7th Street, Evil Katsu on 9th Street (Wednesday) 

• Sushi by M debuts in new space on 2nd Avenue (Wednesday) 

• Snack Bowery sets up shop on the Bowery (Monday) 

• Who's NOT on tonight's CB3-SLA docket: Roberta's Pizza, Spiegel (Monday) 

• A smoky late-afternoon view of Midtown (Tuesday) 

• Former Banco Popular space for rent on Houston and B (Tuesday) 

• Former bubble tea shop space for rent on 3rd Avenue (Tuesday) 

• Aces Fine Food and Spirits in the works for 197 2nd Ave. (Monday)

... and someone left his/her thoughts on the new Tiffany's ad campaign on the Bowery...

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Follow EVG on Instagram or Twitter for more frequent updates and pics.

Former bubble tea shop space for rent on 3rd Avenue

A for-rent sign arrived last week in the window at 110 Third Ave. between 13th Street and 14th Street, marking the official end of One Zo. 

The bubble tea brand from Taiwan debuted here last fall... and had been open as recently as late June.

While One Zo decided to close, several other bubble tea brands continue to try the neighborhood, including the April arrival of Gong Cha on St. Mark's Place... with Xing Fu Tang coming soon to the northwest corner of Second Avenue and St. Mark's Place.

Monday's parting shot

New signage (as of yesterday) on the northwest corner of Second Avenue and St. Mark's Place for New York City Gun Club (as seen around various rolldown gates in recent months).

Workers are actually fitting this storefront for a bubble tea shop. 

Photo today by Steven

Gong Cha debuts on St. Mark's Place

The new Gong Cha outpost has officially opened at 27 St. Mark's Place between Second Avenue and Third Avenue.

This is the ninth Manhattan outpost for Gong Cha, which describes itself as "one of the most recognized bubble tea brands around the world" ... which got its start in 2006 in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.

This block of St. Mark's has seen a variety of bubble tea come and go through the recent years... some still in business (Kung Fu Tea right across the street).... and some not (Mi Tea). And there's more on the way for the northwest corner of Second Avenue and St. Mark's Place.

This storefront had been vacant since Lab -320° closed in late 2016 after six months of selling ice cream. The previous longtime tenant here, The Sock Man, closed in January 2016 after a reported rent hike via (now former) landlord Raphael Toledano. 

Sock Man owner Marty Rosen later opened a new location at 99 1/2 St. Mark's Place ... where he remains today.

Added:

There was previously a Gong Cha location on 14th Street. 

Photo by Steven

This is the new tenant for the NW corner of 2nd Avenue and St. Mark's Place

If you guessed bubble tea, then you win! 

Yesterday, we noted that the long-vacant storefront — most recently Nobletree Coffee — on the northwest corner of Second Avenue and St. Mark's Place received the plywood treatment. 

A deeper dive in public records (thanks Upper West Sider!) reveals that the leasee is the Taiwan-based Xing Fu Tang, a bubble tea chain that specializes in brown sugar boba.

The bubble tea is rather plentiful already along this corridor. And last month, we reported that Gong Cha, which describes itself as "one of the most recognized bubble tea brands around the world," is opening an outpost at 27 St. Mark's Place between Second Avenue and Third Avenue.

Photo yesterday by Steven

Week in Grieview

Posts from this past week included ... (with a photo of the basketball courts in Tompkins Square Park earlier in the week by Vinny & O) ...

• Local elected officials, NYCHA reps get firsthand look at the problems at Mariana Bracetti Plaza (Tuesday) 

• City's first plant-based community fridge is up and running outside Overthrow on Bleecker Street (Monday) 

• Essex Market regulars Davidovich Bakery opening an outpost on Avenue A (Friday) 

• A labor of love: 3rd and B'zaar's latest seasonal pop up open through February on 3rd Street (Wednesday) 

• Our dwindling number of diners (Monday) 

• Gallery Watch heads to Half Gallery (Wednesday) 

• So much face-touching in this week's NY See panel (Thursday) 

• Police searching for suspect in 1st Avenue assault on Wednesday afternoon (Friday) 

• New photos of suspects wanted for brazen attack last month on 3rd Street and 1st Avenue (Wednesday) 

• Black Seed Bagels and chef Bobby Hellen launch Black Seed Pizza (Thursday) 

• A Valentine’s Day pop-up: Never Ending Taste coming to Yellow Rose (Friday) 

• Construction watch: 302 E. 2nd St. (Wednesday) 

• Construction watch: 298 E. Houston St. (Thursday) 

• Kyuramen debuts on 14th Street (Monday) 

• Mi Salsa Kitchen, serving Cuban cuisine, announces itself on Houston and Allen (Thursday) 

• Superiority Burger reopens on March 12 (Wednesday) 

• Reader report: A mini return of the former Stuyvesant Market on 14th Street and Avenue A? (Tuesday) 

• Casse-Cou Chocolate bringing vegan treats to 4th Street (Monday) 

• A new tenant for the former JAM Paper & Envelope space on 3rd Avenue (Wednesday)

• Succession to the throne on 2nd Avenue (Tuesday) 

• Village Dream Tattoo & Piercing shop has apparently closed (Tuesday) 

• How about some more bubble tea for St. Mark's Place (Thursday)

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Follow EVG on Instragram or Twitter for more frequent updates and pics.

How about some more bubble tea for St. Mark's Place

Gong Cha, which describes itself as "one of the most recognized bubble tea brands around the world," is opening an outpost at 27 St. Mark's Place between Second Avenue and Third Avenue. 

This location is now on the Gong Cha website (H/T Upper West Sider!) ... marking the ninth outpost in Manhattan for the global franchise founded in 2006 in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.

This block of St. Mark's has seen a variety of bubble tea come and go through the recent years... some still in business (Kung Fu Tea right across the street).... and some not (Mi Tea). 

This storefront (the one on the left) has been vacant since Lab -320° closed in late 2016 after six months of selling ice cream. The previous longtime tenant here, The Sock Man, closed in January 2016 after a reported rent hike via (now former) landlord Raphael Toledano. Sock Man owner Marty Rosen later opened a new location at 99 1/2 St. Mark's Place ... where he remains today.

Photo by Steven