The Coffee Shop (orCoffee Shop) was a restaurant and bar located next toUnion Square inNew York City. The restaurant opened in 1990 and closed in 2018. It served Brazilian food.
Before The Coffee Shop opened, the building was home to a coffee shop and cafe called Chase.[1] The owners of Chase had placed a large neon sign outside the building reading "Coffee Shop" and the new tenant took its name from the sign and left it attached to the building. The tenant of the space occupied by the restaurant directly before it opened was a diner, Nick’s Coffee Shop.[2] The Coffee Shop opened in 1990.[3] Russell Simmons hosted his 1992 birthday at the restaurant.[4] In 1993, the Coffee Shop changed part of its space into a venue for private parties.[5]
TheNew York City Department of Health ordered the restaurant to close for a period in 2007 after it failed an inspection.[6][7] In 2015, the restaurant's owners opened a taco restaurant, Taco Shop, in the space next to The Coffee Shop.[8]
In mid-2018, the restaurant's owners announced it would close in October 2018.[9] It is one of several restaurants on Union Square that have closed due to rising rents.[10] The restaurant hosted a final party before its closure.[11] Portions of the space formerly occupied by the restaurant were rented to aChase Bank branch and a location of the vegan food chainBy Chloe.[12][13]
The restaurant served what theNew York Times characterized as "vaguely Brazilian food".[20]The New Yorker referred to the menu as "Brazilian-inspired".[21] The restaurant served drinks made withcachaça.[22]
