Champion Coffee taking over the Madman Espresso space on 14th Street

Madman Espresso has closed its location on 14th Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue. (H/T to EVG regular Pinch for the tip!)

There's now a sign hanging on the door titled Good Bye & Good Luck:

Madman Espresso adventure in the East Village/Gramercy area comes to an end. A nice lady bought our shop. They will renovate and reopen in a couple of weeks.

If you really can't live without us, please come see us at University Place and 10th Street or in one of our Midtown locations.

That "nice lady" is apparently Talitha Whidbee, who founded Champion Coffee in 2006 in Greenpoint.

Champion announced their new location(s) on Instagram back in December...

✖️EXCITING NEWS✖️ • Our Christmas gift to you this year comes in the form of a big announcement: We are kicking off 2018 with the opening of - not just one - but TWO new @championcoffee locations in Manhattan! • 210 E 67th | *Coming January 2018* 319 E 14th | *Coming February 2018* • Can’t wait to see you all there and share our yummy coffee with friends, both new and old ☕️

A post shared by Champion Coffee (@championcoffee) on Dec 23, 2017 at 6:48am PST

Madman Espresso opened on 14th Street, its first location, in January 2013. The University Place outpost arrived in 2015.

Champion Coffee was one of the first vendors at the Bowery Market, the year-round open-air food market at 348 Bowery and Great Jones, but they eventually pulled out for undisclosed reasons.

Some Tasty Taiwan for the former TK Kitchen on St. Mark's Place

TK Kitchen, which served bubble tea and various Taiwanese street food, closed in December here on St. Mark's Place between Second Avenue and Third Avenue.

The goodbye noted posted to the TK Facebook page left the door open for a return: "[W]e have a new idea [that we are] planning at the moment, we will be back soon!"

There is now a Community Board notice up in the window (the February meeting hasn't been announced yet) ... noting that Tasty Taiwan LLC plans to open a restaurant ... and they will be applying for a beer-wine license...

I.Q. Decor closing on 14th Street

[Photos via EVG reader Shiv]

Several EVG readers have pointed out the IQ Decor is closing on 14th Street between Second Avenue and Third Avenue...



Closing signs arrived last week at the store that sells discounted toys, housewares, rubber boots, cleaning products, NYC gifts, luggage, etc., etc. (Last day for now is Feb. 28.)

The Saving$ Paradise shop at 250 E. 14th St. merged with I.Q. Decor in the spring of 2016.

This closure, I believe, brings an end to any discounted shops on 14th Street between Avenue B and Third Avenue.

H/T EVG reader Jen!

Tuesday's parting shot

This mural arrived over the weekend here on St. Mark's Place between First Avenue and Second Avenue... Interstellar work by @dirtcobain and @outersource ...

And another angle via @dirtcobain ...

Noted

Multiple media outlets (like ABC 7 and the Post) are reporting on a jacket or bag fire that happened on a northbound F train as it pulled into Second Avenue early Saturday morning.

This social media user captured the fire...

Ahh, New York ❤️🔥 pic.twitter.com/d6kG7A7AIf

— Stephen (@Stibbanski) January 21, 2018

The incident snarled subway traffic for an hour, as the F trains were rerouted first to the A line, then over to the E line. Service resumed within an hour.

Per ABC 7: "Authorities have not confirmed how the fire started or who caused it."

Cinnamon Garden, a new Indian restaurant coming soon to 6th Street

Signage is up for a Indian restaurant called Cinnamon Garden on Sixth Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue... promising "authentic Indian cuisine."

The restaurant has a website (here!) with a menu — and prices. There isn't much info on the site about who will be operating Cinnamon Garden, other than this line: "From an outstanding chef with amazing taste."

This will be the fifth restaurant to serve Indian food on this block, joining Apna Masala, Raj Mahal, Malai Marke and Taj.

For further reading ... this piece from 2016 by Robert Sietsema at Eater has some history on the Indian-Bangladeshi restaurants that have populated this block and adjacent Avenues through the years.

Chelsea Thai closes ahead of move to former Neptune space on 1st Avenue

As noted back in the fall, Chelsea Thai, which has operated a stall in the Chelsea Market for 19 years, signed a 10-year-lease at 192-194 First Ave.

Turns out that Chelsea Thai isn't opening a second location, rather closing their space on Ninth Avenue ahead of a move to the East Village. EVG regular Bayou shared the top photo, noting that the quick-serve Thai restaurant's last day was Friday.

Meanwhile, on First Avenue between 11th Street and 12th Street, renovations continue at the former Nepture diner space...



Chelsea Thai (not sure if they are keeping that name with the move east) is only taking half of the Neptune storefront. The other half is on the market for $7,500, per Eastern Consolidated.

No word on an opening date.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Chelsea Thai coming to former Neptune space on 1st Avenue; Filipino fare for Avenue A

Ciala has apparently closed

Several EVG readers have noted that Ciala at 77 Second Ave. has been dark in recent weeks.

Google says that the restaurant between Fourth Street and Fifth Street is permanently closed. Their social media hasn’t posted since December and their phone just rings without an answer.

The restaurant serving Georgian cuisine opened last July. Two months later, they closed, with a sign noting that they would reopen with an "all new and exciting menu." They made a pivot to French cuisine — specifically crepes. (The Ciala Facebook page said that they are "a new bistro and wine bar serving Portuguese, Spanish, and Italian fare.")

Here's what one EVG commenter had to say in September:

It's been sad to walk by and see this empty restaurant. With the doors wide open, there was always a view of the long faces of the staff waiting for customers to cross their threshold.

Unfortunately, their menu was mostly heavy meat dishes, unappealing in the heat of summer. I would certainly have considered that menu on a cold winter night, but not in June, July and August (and this hot September).

I hope their new menu is more appropriate to the season and wish them great success. This stretch of 2nd Ave is becoming desolate with so many empty storefronts.

In denying their liquor license last March, CB3 wrote (per the meeting minutes): "the applicant has no experience operating a licensed premises and has no experience working in a similar type of business."

1st sign of Target on 14th Street

An EVG reader said yesterday that a sign for the incoming Target had arrived on the southwest corner of 14th Street and Avenue A.

I guess I was expecting something like this...



But it's more like this for now... just a sign for workers...



Right there...



In any event, as noted before, the Target small-format store will cover two levels here. Per the Target newsroom:

Merchandise includes men’s and women’s apparel and accessories, home, food (with grab-and-go selection spanning sandwiches, salads, beverages and more), health and beauty and electronics assortment.
Services offered: Target Mobile and Order Pickup.

The East Village Target has an expected July opening date.

Thanks to Steven for the photos!

Last day for Unleashed by Petco on 2nd Avenue

The Unleashed by Petco on Second Avenue between First Street and Second Street is looking pretty cleaned out ...

A worker said earlier this month that the last day is Jan. 23 (aka today).



There's no word why Petco decided to shutter this location, which opened in August 2015.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Unleashed by Petco is unloading its pet supplies as store is closing on 2nd Avenue

Discarded theater seats and goodbyes at the Sunshine Cinema

There was a lone dumpster outside the just-closed Sunshine Cinema late this afternoon... workers have started discarding some theater seats...



A little later, EVG reader Karen spotted a now-former Sunshine employer putting up "There Goes the Neighborhood" on the marquee...



The message was later changed to Closed...



Workers will demolish the building here on East Houston near Forsyth to make way for a 9-floor office building.

Post updated at 7:30 p.m.

Today in discarded cat paintings

Derek Berg spotted this on Seventh Street earlier today... not sure what the cat is doing... Deejaying? (scratching records?) Cooking?

Remembering Adela Fargas

[Photo by @polimorfos]

On Friday, friends and family paid their respects to Adela Fargas, owner of the Avenue C institution Casa Adela, who died last week at the age of 81.

There was a well-attended viewing Friday from 4-9 p.m. at the Ortiz Funeral Home on First Avenue.

The entire LES & PR/Latino community came out tonight to pay our final respects to one of the LES matriarchs: #AdelaFargas from #CasaAdela — having a meal at Casa Adela meant that your soul, heart and belly would be filled with love as well as authentic PR cooking. QueDescansePaz pic.twitter.com/rk3hxhzGnQ

— Rosie Mendez (@RosieMendez) January 20, 2018

The Puerto Rican restaurant, which opened in 1976 here between Fourth Street and Fifth Street, will be closed until Thursday.



Previously on EV Grieve:
RIP Adela Fargas

On East Houston, El Maguey y La Tuna will have to close after the landlord doubles the rent

[Image via Facebook]

On Friday, friends of El Maguey y La Tuna shared the news that the 15-year-old Mexican restaurant on East Houston between Attorney and Ridge will have to shut down at the end of March.

Here's part of a Facebook post from the Street Vendor Project:

We're sad to announce that El Maguey y La Tuna, a classic mom-and-pop Mexican restaurant on East Houston street, will be closing at the end of March due to ... yep, the landlord doubling the rent.

Maria Cortez and her family are considering opening a food cart to keep serving the community, and we'll be helping her as we see if anything can be done to save this EV/LES staple. Can you help?

Despite what New York City Hospitality Alliance would have you think, vendors do not drive restaurants out of business — greedy landlords (aided by city policies that encourage gentrification and allow landlords to raise rents with impunity) do! Vendors ARE mom-and-pops, and we stand with all other independent small business owners in NYC.

Cortez told the Lo-Down that the unnamed landlord is increasing the monthly rent from $7,000 to an unmanageable $14,000.

Per the Lo-Down:

Cortez told us it was difficult enough to sustain the small business before the increase. In addition to the higher rent, the property owner wants El Maguey to pay half of his property taxes.

Public records list Habibollah Ghatan of Roslyn, N.Y., as the building's owner.


[Image via Streeteasy]

The restaurant started in Williamsburg, but relocated here after a fire in 2002. According to a feature in The Villager from 2008, "Cortez, who was born and raised on the Lower East Side, said the family decided to reopen there in order to give back food and culture to the Lower East Side."

Ben & Jerry's is now open on St. Mark's Place

Ben & Jerry's is at 24 St. Mark's Place between Second Avenue and Third Avenue... and their hours...



As noted before, there was a Ben & Jerry's outpost at 41 Third Ave. between Ninth Street and 10th Street for 22 years before its closure in September 2010.

Previously on EV Grieve:
7 years later, a Ben & Jerry's is returning to the East Village

Robataya has closed on 9th Street

Missed this one. EVG reader jba shared the news that Robataya closed on Ninth Street between Second Avenue and Third Avenue.

There's a short message about this on the restaurant's website:

Notice of Robataya Business Closing
Robataya will be going out of business on December 30, 2017.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your patronage.

The Japanese restaurant, which opened in 2009, was part of Bon Yagi's (Soba-ya, Curry-Ya, Rai Rai Ken) empire.

The 9-story boutique office building coming to the former Sunshine Cinema space

As you likely know, the Sunshine Cinema shut down last night ... after the 10:15 screening of "Darkest Hour."

Per previous reports, the new owners — East End Capital and K Property Group — of the building here on East Houston between Eldridge and Forsyth are planning to re-develop the property into a mixed-use retail and office project.

And in a piece on the theater's closing, the Times got the scoop on that new development...


[Via The New York Times]

Per the Times:

The Sunshine will be demolished and turned into a nine-story “boutique” office building for small to midsize companies, said Jonathon Yormak, the founder and managing principal of East End Capital.

“We’re big fans of the Lower East Side,” Mr. Yormak said. “It really needs more 9-to-5 activity and it tends to be very active, obviously, on a night life basis. We believe there is a real demand for office space and for people to work there during the day.”

The new 65,000-square-foot building will be designed by Roger Ferris and feature retail space on the ground floor. Demolition will begin by March and the new building, which is being branded as 141 E. Houston Street, will be completed in late 2019, Mr. Yormak said.

The new building permits haven't been posted just yet at the DOB.

The Sunshine Cinema opened in December 2001.

Built in 1898, the Sunshine Cinema building was formerly the Houston Hippodrome motion picture theatre and a Yiddish vaudeville house.

Looking at Boris & Horton, opening soon on Avenue A

Signage is up over on Avenue A at 12th Street, where Boris & Horton is expected to open this month...





As previously noted, this is billed as "New York's first dog friendly coffee shop and community space." And this is not an actual dog cafe, as some media outlets have implied.

Eater recently set the record straight:

[C]o-owner Logan Mikhly tells Eater. “I think it’s awesome that people are super excited, but we definitely are a different experience than the animal cafes you’re seeing opening in the States that are like in Asia.”

In a deal with the Department of Health, Mikhly and co-owner Coppy Holzman [Logan's father] created three separate areas: a street takeaway window to order food and drink, an indoor seating area where dogs can go but food cannot be ordered, and a regular cafe area separated by plexiglass where dogs are not allowed. Basically, Boris & Horton cannot serve food where dogs are, but people can order food and bring it into the designated area with their dogs.

There are two entrances... the one on the corner. No pups can come in this way...



Dogs and their owners can enter in a separate entrance on Avenue A (this is the former Racelette space) ...





There is also a to-go coffee window on the 12th Street side...



The cafe, named after the owners' dogs, will reportedly serve City of Saints coffee, Balthazar pastries and Murray’s Cheese cheese plates, among other items. (They were OK'd for a beer-wine license.) The space will also host the occasional dog-adoption events.

Boris & Horton will be open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Find their website here with more details.

Previously on EV Grieve:
On tonight's CB3-SLA docket: Boris & Horton, New York's first dog friendly coffee shop

Week in Grieview

[Photo at the Sunshine yesterday via Pinch]

Stories posted on EVG this past week included...

RIP Adela Fargas (Tuesday)

Veselka honored for its workplace practices with employees over the age of 50 (Wednesday)

Mudspot Café barista recalls terrifying missile attack false alarm in Hawaii (Friday)

Unique former 10th Street residence is now a nail salon (Wednesday)

MLK weekend at Middle Collegiate Church with Civil Rights icon Ruby Sales (Monday)

The latest installment of I Am a Rent-Stabilized Tenant (Friday)

You literally can't say this word now at the Continental (Wednesday)

Report: NYPD looking for suspects behind several East Village business break-ins (Tuesday)

A used book store opened this week on Bleecker and the Bowery (Friday)

'Candy Coated Evil' — live (Wednesday)

Le Sia opens on 7th Street (Thursday)

BarBacon looking to pig out now on 4th Avenue (Thursday)

Report: 186-188 First Ave. changes hands for $14-plus million (Wednesday)

The Joint (fka 99 Miles to Philly) has closed on 3rd Avenue (Tuesday)

Ricky's is closing on 3rd Avenue (Tuesday)

Ho Foods will start serving Taiwanese beef noodle soup on 7th Street (Thursday)

New Citi Bike docking station for Avenue A and 2nd Street (Wednesday)

A buffet for 1st Avenue (Tuesday)

... and spotted on the Bowery and Fourth Street today... repurposing a sign from yesterday's Women's March...

Hey! Hey!

Ho! Ho!

This penis party has got to go!!!

Thanks to EVG reader Sarah Perillo for the photo!

---

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Today in Urban Etiquette Signs

Steven spotted this note up on the Community Events board outside the 6 & B Community Garden on Sixth Street and Avenue B...

Snow melts.

Shit does not.

Please clean up after your dog.

Thank you,
EV Residents

Deadline approaching for The Living Gallery Outpost's Residency Program

Via the EVG inbox...

The Living Gallery Outpost’s mission is to support emerging artists by creating new and exciting opportunities for them to showcase their work. In line with that goal, we are excited to announce our 2018 Residency Program, which will coincide with The Armory Week.

One artist will be selected to use the gallery as their studio for one week. The residency will culminate in an exhibition on the opening day of the Armory Show, March 8, 2018 and a panel of art-world professionals who will provide feedback to the artist on their work and their practice.

Visual artists of all mediums are welcome to apply. We are interested in how you plan on using the space in a creative way. Artists can apply from anywhere in the world but The Living Gallery is not responsible for finding housing for non-NYC residents. All applicants must be at least 18 years old.

Applications are due by 5 p.m. on Jan. 28, 2018.

The winner and semi-finalists will be selected by Feb. 1, 2018.

Find more details here.

The Living Gallery Outpost opened last August at 246 E. Fourth St. just east of Avenue B. The Outpost is a sister gallery to The Living Gallery in Brooklyn.

Saturday's parting shot

Tonight's sunset via Bobby Williams...

'Ring Your Rep' from the Standard East Village

An EVG reader pointed out the recent arrival of a Ring Your Rep phone outside the Standard East Village on Cooper Square...



This is a variation of the customized phone booths that the hotel debuted last August at its other properties. The phone dials directly to the U.S. Capitol Switchboard. (Not sure if that switchboard is open today.)

Per the Standard website:

Simply lift the receiver, and you'll be connected. Punch in your zipcode, choose the rep to whom you wish to speak, and leave your message.

Prepping for another LinkNYC kiosk on 3rd Avenue

A payphone-removing crew was out this morning, prepping to take away the phones on the east side of Third Avenue at 10th Street...



In its place evenutally — a LinkNYC kiosk... which will join the other two already on the block...