THE HOME OF THE CHICKEN TENDER HOT DOG HAS CLOSED

Three years after New York’s first indoor dining shutdown, restaurants continue to close due to the lasting financial impacts of the pandemic. At least 4,500 food businesses have shuttered since March 2020. Since it’s difficult to track closings in real-time, experts say that number is likely much higher — and could take years to fully assess.

In this weekly column, Eater is documenting the city’s permanent restaurant and bar closures, a list that includes one of Manhattan’s top Indonesian cafes, a decades-old deli frequented by Broadway workers, and our only location of Ruth’s Chris Steak House. If a restaurant or bar has closed in your neighborhood, let us know at [email protected].

June 30

Flatiron: Sarashina Horii, an offshoot of one of Tokyo’s oldest soba shops, couldn’t make it in Manhattan. The restaurant, operated by Create Restaurants, a major hospitality group in Japan, closed this month due to a downturn in international travel and foot traffic in the area during the pandemic, a spokesperson told Crain’s New York Business in April. The restaurant with three locations in Tokyo opened at this address about two years ago — the first time it served its popular noodles outside of Japan. Sarashina Horii closes in tandem with two other restaurants run by the group, the Japanese grill Aburiya Kinnosuke and the noodle shop Soba Totto. 45 E. 20th Street, near Park Avenue South; 213 E. 45th Street, near Third Avenue; 211 E. 43rd Street, near Third Avenue

Whitestone: One of the oldest restaurants in Whitestone, Queens, has called it quits. The Clinton, an old-school home for chicken parmesan and baked ziti since 1939, closed its doors on June 25. “It is with great and profound sadness, bittersweet joy, and an air of celebration, that we announce the closing of our restaurant,” owners Bob Babich, Ray Babich, and Debbie Dunham said in a statement to the website QNS. “We’ve had an incredible run spanning four generations.” 9-17 Clintonville Street, at 10th Avenue

Williamsburg: It’s been a big month of closures for Williamsburg. First up is Beck and Call, a neighborhood cafe that’s closed in its current form. Owners Brendon Beck and Derek Orrell have rebranded the shop as Oh Boy, an American restaurant with natural wine, smash burgers, and a gourmet version of the McGriddle breakfast sandwich at McDonald’s, made with pancakes instead of buns. 84 Havemeyer Street, near Metropolitan Avenue

Williamsburg: Pheasant, a New American restaurant in the shadow of the Brooklyn Queens Expressway, closed things out with one last brunch service over the weekend. The restaurant thanked customers for six years of business in a post on Instagram. Pheasant will hang onto its Graham Avenue storefront and use the space to host dinners and pop-ups, according to Greenpointers. 445 Graham Avenue, near Richardson Street

Williamsburg: Tar Pit, a coffee shop run by motorcycle lovers, closed its doors earlier this month ahead of its 12-year anniversary. The cafe closed for renovations earlier this month and reopened on June 18 as Larry’s Cà Phê. The business is now run by Tuan Tuan Nguyen, who previously worked as a barista at the coffee shop. Greenpointers first reported news of the closure. 135 Woodpoint Road, between Jackson and Withers streets

Two Bridges: Chinese restaurant chain Tipsy Shanghai has closed its location on East Broadway after less than a year. A seafood restaurant called Off-Grand is in talks to take over the storefront, according to What Now NY. It’s the second of the chain’s locations to close in recent months, following an outpost in Hell’s Kitchen that was replaced by the Chinatown restaurant Big Wong earlier this year. 189 East Broadway, at Jefferson Street

West Village: El Condor, a coffee roaster and restaurant that once touted national expansion plans, is calling it quits. The company announced the closure on Instagram last month: “This little cafe of ours is a fragile operation,” the business wrote. The coffee roaster opened its first and only location at this address a little over a year ago. At the time, partners Nicolas Simon and Mucjon Demiraj planned to open additional locations of the coffee shop in New York City and beyond. They weren’t “able to secure the necessary capital quickly enough to make these projects a reality,” according to the post. In its year-long run, the shop offered employees revenue-sharing opportunities, health insurance, and other benefits. 95 Greenwich Avenue, between Bank Street and West 12th Street

June 23

Prospect Heights: Cataldo’s, an Italian restaurant that’s anchored Vanderbilt Avenue for 14 years, has closed. Owners Salvatore and Cecilia Cataldo announced the closure on Instagram earlier this month. “We’re happy to say that we are finally retiring,” they wrote. The restaurant was known for its wood-fired pizzas and an order of spaghetti bolognese that appeared in the New York Post. 554 Vanderbilt Avenue, near Dean Street

East Village: A restaurant known for its chicken sold at a range of heat levels has closed after two years. Sauced Up opened at this address in December 2020. The small storefront found fans with its chicken tenders served in a range of formats: One, the chicken tender hot dog, was made by placing a boneless tender in a hot dog bun with pickles and a drizzle of sauce. The grates have been down at the business in recent weeks, according to the website EV Grieve, and the restaurant is listed as closed on Google and Yelp. 77 Second Avenue, between Fourth and Fifth streets

East Village: Is three times the charm on Third Avenue? Ugly Duckling, a rubber duck-themed bar, has closed after a year and a half as its owners prepare to turn the space into a French restaurant, according to EV Grieve. Prior to Ugly Duckling, operator Dream Hospitality Group ran a two-level bar called Brazen Fox from the space for seven years. 106 Third Avenue, at East 13th Street

Financial District, Murray Hill: An Australian cafe known for its vegan and gluten-free snacks has closed in Manhattan. The first location of Wattle Cafe opened in Murray Hill in 2017. An outpost in the Financial District came next, followed by a shop in Jersey City last year. Both of its Manhattan locations have since been removed from the company’s website and are now labeled as permanently closed in listings on Google and Yelp. 19 Rector Street, between Greenwich and Washington streets

Long Island City: Mina’s, the cafe at MoMa PS1, closes today after four years. Owner Mina Stone announced the news in a post on social media this week. “The biggest artwork for me will always be the community created,” she wrote. The restaurant opened on the ground floor of the Court Square museum in September 2019 and became known for its casual atmosphere and Greek mezze. 22-25 Jackson Avenue, at 46th Avenue

Upper West Side: One of Manhattan’s 24-hour delis has closed its doors. New Parisian Deli, on Columbus Avenue, shut its doors after 40 years in the neighborhood, the website I Love the Upper West Side reports. 501 Columbus Avenue, at West 84th Street

June 16

Bushwick: Mika, an all-day beer hall with Japanese snacks, closes Friday. The business broke the news to customers in an Instagram post on Wednesday evening. “Our hands are tied as the landlord has forced unreasonable terms on us and we couldn’t come to an agreement,” according to the post. The massive space opened at this address in 2020. 25 Thames Street, near Morgan Avenue

Park Slope: A Brooklyn bistro praised in the New York Times for its West African and French cooking has closed. Le Succulent opened at this address in 2018, finding fans with its chicken yassa, thiebou djeun, and other Senegalese dishes. The phone line has since been disconnected and the restaurant is marked as permanently closed in listings on Google and Yelp. 291 Fifth Avenue, between First and Second streets

Prospect Heights: Four and Twenty Blackbirds has closed its satellite pie shop in Prospect Heights. The small counter with slices and whole pies for sale shut down on June 1 after six years in the neighborhood, according to an announcement posted on the company’s website. Its flagship at 439 Third Avenue, at Eighth Street, in Gowanus, remains open. 634 Dean Street, near Vanderbilt Avenue

Lower East Side: A longtime home for French pastry closed its doors earlier this year. Ceci Cela, a French bakery and wholesale business, shut down its last remaining retail shop after 32 years. The business was started in 1992 by the chef Laurent Dupal. The original, a small storefront in Soho, closed in 2016 after 25 years. The team relocated its operations to this address on the Lower East Side that same year. 14 Delancey Street, near Chrystie Street

Union Square: Salt Bae Burger, the Manhattan location of a chain that sold burgers wrapped in gold foil and $100 milkshakes, is finished. A sign on the door claims the business has relocated to 412 West 15th Street, near Ninth Avenue, in the Meatpacking District. The address belongs to a location of the international chain Nusr-Et Steakhouse, where the menu will continue to be served. The burger chain is run by Nusret Gökçe, a Turkish butcher who became an internet sensation in 2017 for sprinkling salt over steaks in aviator sunglasses and tight t-shirts. 220 Park Avenue South, near Union Square Park

Upper West Side: Another one of the city’s old-school diners has closed. Broadway Restaurant, an uptown home for steaks, chops, and pastrami with eggs, is finished after 43 years. Management announced the closure in a sign attached to the front of the building, according to the website I Love the Upper West Side. Sitting at the diner’s counter felt “like stepping back in time,” Andrew Rigie, executive director of the NYC Hospitality Alliance wrote in a post about the closing. Eater’s critic Robert Sietsema said it was a time capsule of the 1960s. 2664 Broadway, between 101st and 102nd streets

June 9

East Village: A restaurant once praised for its chopped-cheese burritos closes down this week. Pink’s Cantina, with a second location on Chrystie Street that lives on, thanked customers for close to a decade in the neighborhood. The spot was known for its menu that fused Mexican and New York flavors, such as pastrami tacos or a burrito with ground beef, melted cheese, and onions in the style of a chopped cheese sandwich. June 3 was the last night of service. 242 E. 10th Street, near First Avenue

East Village: Italian sandwich shop Tramezzini is out after six years on East Houston Street. Owner Filippo Paccagnella attributed the closure to the pandemic, an expired lease dating back to 2021, and his father’s health in an interview with the website EV Grieve. “Running a small business is a dream come true for me,” he says. “I nursed it like a plant 70 hours a week, but it was a pleasure.” 309 E. Houston Street, between Clinton and Attorney streets

Financial District: Etrusca, a modern Italian restaurant that opened at the start of the year, has closed. “Despite our best efforts and the support of our guests, unfortunately, we were not financially viable,” the restaurant said in a statement. The menu of meats and marrow channeled Tuscany, an outlier on the neighborhood’s historic Stone Street, known for its pubs and pizzerias. In an early review, Eater’s critic Robert Sietsema wrote that the offerings showed “a chef with vision.” 53 Stone Street, near William Street

Financial District: Sauce and Barrel, a massive Italian American restaurant with 150 seats spread out over two stories, has closed. The pizzeria and bar opened at this address in 2016. The phone line is now disconnected and a Google listing marks the restaurant as permanently closed. 97 Washington Street, at Rector Street

Newark: Iberia Tavern and Restaurant, a 49-year-old restaurant in the Ironbound neighborhood of Newark, New Jersey, announced its closure in English and Portuguese earlier this month. Spouses Joao and Ilda Loureiro opened the restaurant in 1974 with business partner Jorge Fernandes. Joao Loureiro died in 2020, and Fernandes and Ilda Loureiro were looking to retire, according to the website Tapinto Newark. 80-84 Ferry Street, between Congress and Prospect streets

Ridgewood: Porcelain, a Queens restaurant that opened in 2019, has closed. “We learned and grew, and made great strides, but we simply ran out of time to realize our full potential,” the restaurant shared in a post announcing the closure. Porcelain opened with an Austrian menu that was short-lived. Kate Telfeyan, a former chef of Mission Chinese, later took over the kitchen, bringing custard buns and savory tofu pudding to the menu. The last day was June 6. 880 Woodward Avenue, at Catalpa Avenue

Upper East Side: Tiramisu, an Italian restaurant that opened on the corner of Third Avenue and East 80th Street in 1989, has been evicted by its landlord. The building the restaurant has operated out of for more than 30 years is set to be demolished in October after being purchased by developers for $50 million last fall, the website Upper East Site reports. Tiramisu plans to relocate to 1643 Second Avenue, between East 85th and 86th streets, in Yorkville. 1410 Third Avenue, at East 80th Street

Upper West Side: An Italian wine bar open since 2006 closed at the end of May. Brothers Dario and Pierpaolo Arenella announced the closure of Regional in a note on their website, thanking customers for their support over the years. Patch first reported news of the closure. May 28 was the last day. 2607 Broadway, between West 98th and 99th streets

Williamsburg: Brooklyn lost one of its decades-old red sauce restaurants this week. Frost, open since 1959, closed after service on Sunday, ending a six-decade run on its namesake street. For years, the restaurant served as overflow seating to the area’s busiest red sauce restaurant, Bamonte’s, but in time it found a crowd of its own with affordable Italian fare and a television set perpetually tuned to Jeopardy or CNN. 193 Frost Street, at Humboldt Street

June 2

East Village: A series of burglaries prompted Puerto Rican coffee chain 787 Coffee to close one of its East Village locations. The cafe experienced five break-ins in four weeks, according to EV Grieve. “We make coffee as an excuse to connect, to collaborate, to create… but when we are afraid to even go to work, it defeats our values, our DNA,” management told the website. The shop opened at this address in 2021. It has three other locations in the neighborhood. 319 E. 14th Street, between First and Second avenues

East Village: Cheese Grille, a restaurant that specialized in grilled cheese sandwiches made with Buffalo chicken, truffle oil, and other unconventional ingredients, is out on Allen Street after close to a decade. The sandwich shop announced the closure on social media in April, and EV Grieve reports that a for lease sign now hangs from the window. 188 Allen Street, between Houston and Stanton streets

Upper East Side: A handful of businesses at the intersection of East 86th Street and First Avenue have been forced to close or relocate in recent months, as the buildings’ landlord prepares to sell the site to developers, the website Upper East Site reports. Dunkin’ Donuts, one of the last holdouts, shut down last month. Tenants that have already closed include Peng’s Noodle Folk, Chicky’s Restaurant, and Taco Today. With those businesses out of the way, and demolition plans filed with the city last fall, the property is now being shopped around to developers with an asking price of $80 to $90 million, according to the website. 349 to 361 E. 86th Street, 1653 to 1659 First Avenue

Upper West Side: A kosher sandwich shop with a following in Tel Aviv says farewell to Manhattan this week after a little over a year. Sherry Herring, from cookbook author Sherry Ansky and her daughter Michal Ansky, an Israeli journalist, announced in a post on Instagram on Wednesday that its storefront on the Upper West Side had closed. The restaurant was popular for its baguette sandwiches stuffed with herring, sardines, and other smoked fish. 245 West 72nd Street, between Broadway and West End Avenue

Williamsburg: Edith’s Eatery and Grocery, a Jewish restaurant that set out to become a modern day Zabar’s when it opened in Williamsburg last year, has closed. Owner Elyssa Heller retired the full-service restaurant to focus on expanding its more casual sibling, Edith’s Sandwich Counter. “We’re trying to build Edith’s as a brand, not as a standalone restaurant,” she says. The last day was May 28. 312 Leonard Street, at Conselyea Street

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