Ost cafe’s last day in the East Village/Alphabet City will be Sunday, February 26th, 2017 according to a note that was posted on their window today.
Much like many of the older establishments in the East Village, Ost Cafe is the victim of rising rents in the area. Here’s the actual note posted to the front of the store this afternoon:
If you can’t read the mage, take a look at the post on their Facebook page or here’s the note in its entirety:
Friends, East Villagers, Countrymen- It has been a good run. We love being part of the neighborhood, and part of all of your lives. Unfortunately, it has become too expensive to stay open any longer. The East Village (the commoditized version of it that is controlled by the Real Estate industry) is moving on up, and they seem to have forgotten to set any place at the table for small businesses. The City of New York is complicit in this change, cheering from the sidelines for more, bigger, taller, and pocketing the tax revenue. Alas. Short of charging $10 a cup, we can no longer make ends meet selling just coffee and wine, and options are limited. “ost Café and 24-Hour Vape Shop Emporium” just doesn’t have the same ring to it.
We will close the doors on Sunday at 5PM for the last time. Stop by and say hello in the next few days, and thank you for making the past 9 years such a wonderful experience. Our Lower East Side location on Grand St is going strong, and we will always call this community home. -Ost Cafe
The cafe has been at its current Avenue A location for 9 years. As mentioned in their note, their Lower East Side location will stay open.
