Monday, January 5, 2009

City evicts Caffe on the Green

Effective Thursday, January 1st, 2009, Caffé on the Green will cease operations and will not reopen at this location. Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the New York City of Department of Parks, has decided to prematurely terminate our license agreement unjustifiably and without cause.

In this time of such high financial uncertainty, the city and its lack of responsible judgment and shortsightedness, has placed our employees into an uncertain and stressful position, facing unemployment, and the loss of their future pension and health care benefits.


Caffe on the Green

Caffé will be relocating locally, and hopes to be up and running again soon with our present family of staff. Our website, Caffeonthegreen.com, will always be available and will keep you posted on our future plans.

Previously: Caffe owes lots of green

Update: Crain's reports that the operator of World's Fair Marina Restaurant is taking over the venture.

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

Didn't somebody say that place was
run by mobsters?

Too bad!
Their Calamari was the best in NYC!

Anonymous said...

I just passed by this place yesterday and noticed it was shut down. It's a shame. I've been there for dinners and for a wedding and it was excellent. Expensive, but excellent.

Anonymous said...

Maybe now the building can become a Korean Church and pay absolutely NO TAXES!

Anonymous said...

Couldn't happen to a nicer bunch of people!

The food was god-awful. The garbage they served me two years ago on New Years Eve was frozen crap you can buy at Costco.

Had to return for a birthday party last year and everyone thought it sucked (they were warned). The kids wouldn't even eat the chicken fingers!

And the staff was a group of stuck-up, gum snapping, fake-nail wearing, guidettes who THOUGHT they were high-class, but wouldn't know class if it slapped them in the face.

Anonymous said...

"The food was god-awful. The garbage they served me two years ago on New Years Eve was frozen crap you can buy at Costco."

Really? That wasn't my experience at all.


"And the staff was a group of stuck-up, gum snapping, fake-nail wearing, guidettes who THOUGHT they were high-class, but wouldn't know class if it slapped them in the face."

I'll agree with that. But that can also be said about a lot of people in Queens who think big hair, lots of makeup and 2-inch long fingernails looks good. Guidettes are still alive and well here.


My brother was actually a valet parking attendant there years ago and he always had some interesting stories about the mafiosi that dined there, rolling up in their rolls royces, jaguars etc...

Anonymous said...

I hadn't been there in about 2 years, but the few times I went, the food was mediocre. It is a shame because the setting is great. I hope a new, high-quality owner can come in and re-open soon.

Anonymous said...

I hope a new, high-quality owner can come in and re-open soon.
-------

This is Queens. In Manhattan or Brooklyn a bodega becomes a Zabars. Here, the opposite.

Remember Flushing Marina? Now a setting for Indian weddings. A similar fate awaits this place. A person with the right connections and an approved agenda (probibally Asian) will take it over.

Anonymous said...

Here comes another Paki or Asian Noodles like Jahns.

What the city did to those Goodfellas was racist and discrimination.
I went to many a weddings there, its not mob.
Thats all B.S. made up by the city to do another "private to private" !!

People like Donald Trump and Ratner make MILLION dollar mistakes, cheat and steal yet the city break this family run biz over $100K in book keeping oversight.

-Joe

Anonymous said...

"Here comes another Paki or Asian Noodles like Jahns."

Jahn's is supposed to be turned into a Montezuma's Mexican chain restaurant. They have been working on it for 11 months now and have only gutted the interior. A peek in the window will show you 4 guys sitting in an empty room with a flood light. Occasionally you will hear some banging, but there are no construction materials being taken in. There has been absolutely no progress despite workers being present week after week. What's going on there is anybody's guess.

Anonymous said...

Montezuma's revenge....poor Jahn's!

Anonymous said...

I heard some guys with a Italian Pizza chain are re-opening the place and it should be on par if not better...waiting to see...but i know it will be a Italian joint w/ a famous chef...

Anonymous said...

Finally, maybe Queens will get a nee destintation place. We really need one.

Anonymous said...

Albanian family bought the lot and will renovate it it was in the paper today

Anonymous said...

My wife and I had our wedding reception here two years ago and they did an amazing job. The food was delicious and varied. They were attentive and organized. We chose this location after many years of dining here, and to celebrate our anniversary here every year. We are surprised and disappointed to hear they are closing. With decisions like allowing Bernie Madoff to continue living in his palatial mansion under "mansion arrest" after bilking people out of all of their savings, you really have to think about things like this. I wish them well in their future endeavors.

Unknown said...

Lisa said...

I also had my wedding there almost 5 years ago and everything was first class. the food, service and view were everything I could ask for. And at a much more reasonable price then other venues at the time.

My husband and I would celebrate every anniversary there and now will have to celebrate our special day somewhere else.

Caffe on the Greene will be very much missed.

Anonymous said...

My wife and another couple who shared similar anniversaries always went there to celebrate them. I thought the food and service were the same as restaurants in Manhattan that charge 50% more than Caffe on the Green. BTW, we live in Manhattan and my wife worked in every aspect of the food service business.

Anonymous said...

I have been meeting NJ, Westchester and CT friends here for years - the food was always consistently excellent and I am soooo disappointed. I never had any of the problems discussed under comments and find some of these people just too full of themselves!!! I will miss this place terribly.