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Adding to the list of fave storefronts that aren’t coming back
While I hate to write these posts, I want to keep track in a paper-of-record kind of way of our empty storefronts. It’s clear now, 17 months after the advent of the pandemic, that a few spots aren’t coming back. And it’s also so clear that they closed long before their time. The previous list is here.
BLISS BOWL
The to-go healthy Korean bowls, designed by a pharmacist and a chef, were a go-to for me and I would guess a lot of us in the southern part of the district. They opened in 2011 as Yorganic and changed the name to sync up with the top seller on the menu in 2017. A Fidi location opened on Washington Street (three of the four founders were Fidi residents) in 2014. The website is still up, but I’ve not heard a word despite reaching out many times.
HANK’S JUICY BEEF
A local fave among local residents and city workers, Henry “Hank” Tibensky opened his eponymous sandwich shop on Chambers in 2016 after a circuitous route to restaurant owner: modeling to waiting tables to teaching English in China to law school to a job in finance to a lunchtime fantasy of the perfect sandwich. And so it came to be. But at one point last summer, he was trying to make a go of it with just 10 percent of the sales coming in. He’s up to some fun stuff now and promises to send an update when he is ready for press.
SWEET LILY NATURAL SPA & BOUTIQUE
The nail salon on West Broadway opened 18 years ago and pioneered the use of natural products at a time when nail salons downtown were scarce. Owner Donna Perillo Karlin had a devoted following among neighbors and celebrities alike for her healthy product alternatives and hand and foot exfoliants that they made on site daily from natural ingredients.
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Sweet Lily is a loss for sure. I loved their manis and pedis, and the space itself was so lovely.
Any word on Il Mulino?
Liquor license remains in active status. Lenders took the place over from the prior owners in a messy bankruptcy / restructuring of the entire chain of restaurants.
:’( Bliss Bowl so sad!!!
Everyone that worked there was so nice and their spicy chicken bowl was so addictive!
sigh
Love Hank’s! Their roast beef & hotdogs were just so amazing
One of the reasons that some businesses are forced to close is the abundance of street vendors selling counterfeit merchandise in and around Canal Street.
Not only does this encourage many people to avoid these areas, it also completely discourages genuine retail to open in these areas since they are both unable and unwilling to compete with the illegal vendors.
I wish the Tribeca Citizen would devote more attention to this problem since we need community pressure to improve the quality of life in Tribeca.
Totally agree with the out of control counterfeit street vendors scene. The city so far hasn’t addressed this problem at all. But it’s mostly on Broadway/Canal Street. I don’t see the connection between this and business closing in Tribeca. These spas and restaurants have lost a lot of customers due to Covid. People have not returned to work downtown or left the neighborhood period.
I believe the Sweet Lily spa day is now A6 nails. They are also lovely so we should support them.
Any word on the space Augustine occupied ?
In the area of “maybe not closed for good,” The Wooly is listed on Yelp as planning to re-open on October 1. The website is also still active and seems to be receiving updates. That was a really great spot, so I’m hoping they do make it and aren’t another addition to this list.
Last I went by it was cleaned out in there…