So long Gregory’s, thanks for all the coffee
There was a sign up on the door of Gregory’s Coffee this morning.
Signs on doors are almost never good.
I called their Park Avenue store to ask what happened. The woman I spoke to sounded sad about it, but would only say the store had closed. The neighborhood is going to miss them. Everyone I told at Noemi’s school drop-off this morning was surprised at the news.
Gregory’s was one of three connected one-story storefronts on the corner of 14th and First Avenue.
I’ve never really understood how the bodega next door stays in business — or avoids the Health Department. The Hot Dog place has also never seemed especially permanent (or clean for that matter). But the biggest thing I don’t understand is how there is still a one-story building on a busy corner across the street from Stuyvesant Town. That location is worth a fortune and I won’t be at all surprised if I wake up one morning and find the whole thing being demolished.
Papaya King is as permanent as things get in NYC, but the lack of overhead development on that corner is puzzling.
My favorite East Side eatery is still there, thank goodness: Ess-a-Bagel. Yum.
Sad news indeed regarding Gregory’s, which in my opinion set an example for the other two in the block. Gregory’s probably went under because of their high pricing, and lacking buffer funds à la Starbucks, we’ve now seen the result.
The bodega has also puzzled me, and many years ago I came to the conclusion that they may have business models I’m (we’re) not aware of.
That bodega is totally filthy. I won’t even buy chips there.
I’m really sad about the gregory’s. They were really friendly and the wireless was free. The Gristedes a couple doors down has also recently closed. While they had really crappy service and quality, it was nice to have a grocery store on the block for emergencies.
What’s going on with this block of 14th?
I talked to some of the workers of gregory coffee and from what they told me the family that owned the store just let the workers go with no reason. I would think they would have moved there workers to one of there other stores. They did not even give the a reason. The Son name Gregory told 1 of the workers that they be only closed for 2 days and when she went to the other store on park ave pick up her check that when the gregory sister Dina told her GOOD LUCK, and it was nice to know her didnt even tell her she was no longer needed. Some of there workers has been with the since they open up the store.
I loved this place. I would spend hours here doing work. But I can see why they had to close down. They didn’t have any good food to offer. I would be there and be really hungry and have to go elsewhere to eat and come back. People would bring food in from nearby places. I tried the salads and they were gross. I never wanted to try the sandwiches because they looked hard and old. They had no good snacks. People would come in asking for bagels and they would have to say no. People expect bagels at a coffee shop. They had too many varieties of the same exact thing (eg: cereal bars), but not enough good options. Maybe a cheese plate or fruit or something would have been nice. This is just meant to be some constructive criticism for a place I wish had done well.