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A Summer Day Cafe closed?
A Summer Day Cafe, at the northeast corner of Reade and West Broadway, seems to be closed to the public, with a note on the door that reads “Closed for private party” — but as P. noted when he sent an email, that’s some party. Other clues: the website is down; the answering machine says to leave a message; the cute striped banquettes and furniture are still inside but not set up; and I saw a bunch of HVAC vents being delivered to the corner this morning.
The restaurant opened in July 2018 and was owner Matt Abramcyk’s second shot at making a go of that corner — he also had Super Linda starting in 2012 (his Neighborhood Projects Group includes Holy Ground downstairs from A Summer Day, Smith & Mills, Tiny’s & the Bar Upstairs, Warren 77 and Yves).
I can’t *not* take this opportunity to voice my opposition to enclosed sidewalk cafes, even though I am likely the only one who cares. They are not grandfathered into a restaurant’s license, and I don’t think they are the right or fair use of public space. There, I said it and can now move on.
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**I can’t *not* take this opportunity to voice my opposition to permanent sidewalk cafes, even though I am likely the only one who cares. They are not grandfathered into a restaurant’s license, and I don’t think they are the right or fair use of public space.**
Cool, do free street parking for private cars next!
What does Summer Day have to do with sidewalk cafes?
They have an enclosed sidewalk cafe.
“Enclosed sidewalk cafe: An enclosed area on the public sidewalk in front of the restaurant that is constructed predominantly of light materials such as glass, plastic, or lightweight metal.”
The enclosed sidewalk cafe has been there since the Delphi days.
I walked by tonight and there were people in there eating at tables and drinking at the bar.
If so, it was all wrapped up and dark with the stools on the tables when I went by at 10p.
Perhaps you should call this the Gindi’s latest attempt to do something with the space. Century 21 Department Stores owns the building. They own 385 Greenwich aka 71 North Moore, 77 Warren, 190a Duane, 109 -111 W. Broadway, the old Bouley and Bouley Bakery at 120 and 130 West Broadway. They owned 287 Broadway where Abramcyk was evacuated at Pizza Cafe, two weeks before they started a fire at Smith & Mills, where our lofts since 1982 were illegally vacated. The owners are vertical in all these buildings.
They are one of the biggest nightclub operators in this the city. They are the money behind Tenjune. They owned The Oak Room at The Plaza, Abe & Arthur, SL.
“Summer Day – Permanently Closed”
https://www.opentable.com/r/summer-day-new-york/?category=All
This place was run poorly, and not at all an asset to the neighborhood. The food was subpar, (after 3 visits we gave up) the menu odd, the decor a strange mishmash, the service middling, but worst of all, they had a Grade Pending Health Grade and chose to hide it far from the entrance (in a small window on the Reade-facing side of the structure) so it appeared it had no grade at all. That’s not the way to serve nor respect your customers. The structure itself has been a blight on the street for years. It’s tough running profitable restaurants, and we do support many local establishments, but this one seemed to have little respect for its customers, and I’m not sorry to see it go. The one significant drawback to its demise: a vacant space is perhaps worse than a forgettable one.
I did see two guys in there last night at a table with a laptop. They looked like ‘guys who just bought a restaurant’ (a la “guy that just bought a boat ” from SNL weekend update)
We could use a good adult music venue in the neighborhood. Cool low key jazz place in the basement with food upstairs?
That sounds exactly like the Roxy.
I could have very well seen the people at the table with laptops and not realized they werent eating.
Holy Ground which is downstairs, still appears to be open, or at least it did the other night.
Are such as enclosed sidewalk extensions “grandfathered” forever? Or is there a cut-off point after x-number of tenants or years? Anyway, bring back the Delphi! That corner has been a jinx ever since they left . . .
“A spokesperson for [Department of Consumer Affairs] told us that […] ‘after a restaurant closes, DCA allows its enclosed cafe to remain for a period of time to allow for its transition to a new owner. If the location remains unoccupied after that period, the landlord would be responsible for removing it.’ ”
https://www.westsiderag.com/2019/03/27/the-answer-column-its-been-closed-for-two-years-so-why-is-arties-still-clogging-our-arteries
During my 14 years on CB4, it was my understanding — and I tried digging for this rule to confirm but could not find it — that just like sidewalk cafes, enclosed sidewalk cafes are not attached to the building or the landlord but rather the permittee. Once a business moves on, the sidewalk cafe must come down and the new owner has to apply for one.
That’s implied in the issuance of the revocable consent to the restaurateur. That said, I understand Title 6 RCNY 2-44 was amended in 2019 to add:
“(d) Whenever a petitioner submits a petition to operate an enclosed sidewalk cafe for which a consent issued to another person had lapsed or was terminated, the commissioner may authorize such petitioner to operate the existing sidewalk cafe at such premises pending the approval of consent for operating such cafe provided that the structure and the plans for the cafe are the same as the cafe for which a consent to operate a sidewalk cafe had previously been granted, and provided further that the petitioner has acquired his or her interest in the restaurant to be operated at such premises from the former holder of the consent in an arm’s length transaction as specified in section 20-227.1(f) in the administrative code of the City of New York.”
It’s unclear whether this applies strictly to transfers or whether it is interpreted also to apply to new rentals of vacant restaurant spaces formerly so used.
This guy doesn’t have a clue about what do with this space so here’s an idea for him:
Open a neighborhood luncheonette.
Super Linda now this whatever. You don’t have a clue dude.
As of yesterday afternoon around 3pm (2/3), it seems that Holy Ground is doing a nightly pop-up here. I think it’s also an apres ski themed situation to it. Wonder how long it will hold and what their arrangements are with Summer Day.