Le Pain Quotidien is back open, defying rumors

The Tribeca Le Pain Quotidien on Warren and West Broadway is back open for business, despite the fact that the company filed for bankruptcy protection in May and closed the Gateway PQ permanently. UPDATE: The Gateway location opened last week, and will roll out full service soon.

This is a prominent corner, and it will be a relief to see them breath life into it once more. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8a to 6p, and weekends 9a to 6p for both locations. (Thanks to G. for the shots of the first visitors.)

“We are excited to serve our friends and neighbors in Tribeca once again for counter touch-less service,” said the district manager, Mario Vasquez. “All of our guests’ favorites will be available including our avocado toast, salads, tartines, freshly baked breads and pastries.” The sale of the company happened so quickly, he said, that plans to reopen have been in flux until the last minute. And the website is still being maintained by the main group in Belgium and is not up to date, so they are trying to get the word out any other way they can.

Back in May, the reopening of the restaurant did not seem likely. The US branch of Le Pain Quotidien had filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and had agreed to sell its US operation to Aurify, the brand that operates Five Guys Pizza along with a bunch of other chains, according to Nation’s Restaurant News. There were 98 locations in the country — more than 30 in the city — and Aurify predicted it would reopen 35 of them.

The PQ in Battery Park City at Gateway — 395 South End Ave. — defaulted on its rent, according to a note posted on the door back then, with a total of $86,700 accrued between April 1 and May 15. But negotiations there must have been successful one way or another.

No concrete word yet on the locations at 85 Broad and 2 River Terrace, where the leases are still being negotiated.

 

5 Comments

  1. The Gateway one re-opened last week.

  2. Welcome back PQ!!

  3. Le Pain Quotidien has always been a joke. The service and management were / are legendarily horrible.

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