« Seven Windows To Go at 184 Kent Avenue Last Week's Biggest Sales: Bay Ridge on Top »

October 6, 2009

Tea Lounge Closing and Unopening

bp_tealounge_61009.jpgBack in March, it looked like Tea Lounge, the cornerstone of laptop culture in Park Slope and Cobble Hill, was going to birth its third store in Brooklyn Heights, at the St. George Tower at 111 Hicks Street. The Brooklyn Paper reports today, however, that owner Jonathan Spiel has scrapped the idea due to the high demands of the co-op board that owns the building. He also closed the Cobble Hill location on Court Street due to low sales, and he closed the original Tea Lounge on Seventh Avenue and Ninth Street in Park Slope a year ago, due to hikes in rent, even though sales were healthy. That leaves just the Union Street location near Seventh Avenue, where sales are also lagging due to the recession. If he can weather the economy, Spiel hopes to open more stores in Park Slope, Crown Heights, or Brooklyn Heights. “We are not where we were a year or two ago, but we’re still surviving,” he told the Paper.
Tea Lounge Coming to The Heights? [Brownstoner]
Beloved Slope Coffee Bar Won't Open in the Heights [Brooklyn Paper]
Photo by Allyse Pulliam/Brooklyn Paper




Posted by jscheff at 11:14 AM | Comments (17)
Categories: Brooklyn Heights, Park Slope, Streetlevel

Trackback Pings

TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.brownstoner.com/mte/mt-tb.cgi/11756

Comments

if I was a shareholder in this building I would be FURIOUS. these poor (literally!) shareholders pay the highest fees around due to the board's dumb ass decisions. their maintenance fees are so high, it's hard to sell these units and it's always, "previous management" that has made mistakes. but, from afar, it looks like every board in this place makes insane mistakes. throw the bums out!

Posted by: Ringo at October 6, 2009 11:22 AM

The Union St. shop rearranged their furniture a while ago and, to me, changed the vibe of the place. I used to go twice a week for Happy Hour and read. they would dim the lights at 7:10 or so reliably and thus I would have to leave, but it was a good way to unwind. I read a lot of books that way.

Now I hardly ever go, only to look inside to see if anyone I know is there. But it's still my first date spot of choice. Maybe I'll go there Saturday and hang out for a long time, it's a long weekend after all.

Posted by: infinitejester at October 6, 2009 11:27 AM

lol i read an interview yesterday where someone said it's often refered to as the Teat Lounge

*rob*

Posted by: Butterfly at October 6, 2009 11:31 AM

if anyone took me there on a first date, there would be no second. ich.

if he's serious about crown heights, i hope he considers something on washington ave, up by eastern, close to the museum. we need a coffee spot up there.

Posted by: linkinplace at October 6, 2009 11:31 AM

Linkin:

Isn't there a coffee place called Sit and Wonder on Washington and Prospect Place...? I heard they serve Stumptown Coffee...

Posted by: 11217 at October 6, 2009 11:35 AM

The Teat lounge? Sorry, Amy Sohn has ruined that place for me forever.

Regardless, I was actually happy when the 7th Ave location closed, because instead of crappy coffee I can now get mediocre bahn me.

Posted by: bupe at October 6, 2009 11:38 AM

i think jester was joking about this being a first date spot. i hope

*rob*

Posted by: Butterfly at October 6, 2009 11:41 AM

Tea Lounge sucks.

I'm so happy we are FINALLY getting some decent coffee.

Cafe Grumpy in South Slope, Cafe Regular in South Slope and Cafe Regular Du Nord in the North Slope are all you need. Best coffee in the hood. Cafe Regular Du Nord is dare I say one of the best coffees I've had in NYC.

Posted by: 11217 at October 6, 2009 11:43 AM

Ringo: I would not be so hasty to castigate the Board on this one. There may be very good reasons they nixed it. And remember, board members pay the same fees as all the other shareholders.

Posted by: BH76 at October 6, 2009 11:44 AM

BH76:

When I was looking to buy my place, my agent said to stay as far away as possible from 111 Hicks. (even though I saw what looked like a couple ok listings online). He said exactly what Ringo said above and more...they are known to be a DISASTER in terms of their finances.

They really screwed themselves with this one.

Posted by: 11217 at October 6, 2009 11:51 AM

well, the reasons are outlined in the article. dumb. they haven't had a paying tenant for years now. what a financial drain.

and while the board does pay too, they are generally people who 1) bought a long time ago and have a low or no mortgage and 2) who aren't thinking about selling soon so dont seem to care that people in the building are forced to price their places so so low. I think people buy in this place thinking the finances will get under control at some point and then -- fast forward 5 years -- they discover it's even worse than when they bought it. I fee for them.

Posted by: Ringo at October 6, 2009 11:55 AM

Hey- we'll take them here in CHN. Linkin- you must have been reading my and Montrose's minds. We've been saying that for years.

Posted by: bxgrl at October 6, 2009 11:59 AM

My last girlfriend, we emailed and said let's meet at the Tea Lounge and go from there. Why is that so weird? I'm not gonna say, meet me at some bar.

Posted by: infinitejester at October 6, 2009 12:03 PM

linkin/11217: yes, sit and wonder is at st. marks and washington. and there is also glass shop cafe on classon somewhere around prospect, which serves really wonderful espresso drinks and snacks. but neither has late hours nor booze/light cafe fare, which i think tea lounge does and which i agree would be great somewhere within close walking distance of the museum/library/botanic gardens.

Posted by: i disagree at October 6, 2009 12:22 PM

Cobble Hill location was always filled with laptop jockeys who never bought anything. Not a good way to run a business.

Posted by: bobbyj at October 6, 2009 12:23 PM

Hopefully union site will close too. I always felt there tends to be a correlation between a place that distributes the Indypendent free rag, and the crunchy/icky/crappiness of the place.

And it just felt like they took over a Salvation Army furniture store and started serving coffee.

Posted by: BSD at October 6, 2009 1:26 PM

Sit & Wonder is great. But it's not close enough to Eastern Pkwy. We need something between Eastern Pkwy & Tom's. It's got great foot traffic, especially on weekends with events at the museum & gardens. Take out 2 hairdressers or the mess of who-knows-what on the CH side of Washington between either Lincoln & St. Johns or St. Johns & Sterling and you'll make a fortune.

Posted by: linkinplace at October 6, 2009 1:59 PM

Post a comment

Please be patient while your comment is published. It may take a moment.

Latest Restaurant Additions