E.V. Grieve announced it first and then the Mariner sent it to me at work.
I couldn't believe it. We had just gotten coffee there.
As soon as I could, I went in. The guys working the afternoon shift, whose faces I knew like I knew how the light fell across Second Avenue late in the day, they didn't know anything more than the sign posted on the door.
After 40 years the Open Pantry was closing.
The nephew would be working tomorrow morning, the guys told me. I could ask him.
I ran into Ann Marie and Michael coming out of the elevator. "Open Pantry is closing!" I told them.
"No!"
It was shocking but she had heard they hadn't been doing well.
"Where did you hear that?"
"Robert, the mailman."
E.G. Grieve heard rumors the Pantry just couldn't complete with Starbucks.
Our safe havens, our soft corners, the places we hid in or celebrated in, they are all slipping away, they are.
But we are all still here. We are.
The Open Pantry is closing. Nothing left to do but love until we say goodbye. And buy up a fuck-load of coffee.
The Open Pantry
184 Second Avenue
New York City
Openpantryynyc.com
**
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Saying Goodbye To De Robertis
It Was Olga's New York
E.V. Grieve - Open Pantry Closing
Tales From A Hard Days
1 comment:
noooooo! I used to live on 10th street, and was there all the time! Pete (Panos?) was the fellow I saw every time, and we would say all the greek phrases in my repertoire. I can still bring up the way that little shop smelled!
Best of luck to you, Open Pantry and old Neighborhood. Thank you for beautiful memories and community...
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