NYC Businesses: Beloved Closures and Exciting New Openings in 2025

Beloved Businesses Lost in 2025

• 😢 Listeners shared sadness over the closure of long-standing neighborhood businesses, including the Rite Aid chain, which impacted personal interactions.
• 💔 Marlo and Sons, a 21-year staple in Williamsburg, and Cafe Gatani, a Nolita favorite for over 30 years, are among the significant restaurant closures.
• 🍽️ Iconic New York City dining spots like the 52-year-old Elephant and Castle and the 76-year-old Hector's Cafe and Diner also served their last meals.
• 🍻 Jimmy's Corner, a historic Times Square dive bar, faces eviction, prompting eulogies from patrons.
• 🛍️ Retail closures include the iconic Zum Zum Damtish Pork Store in Queens and several Macy's locations, impacting local shopping habits.

New Neighborhood Staples Emerge

• 🥟 A new Baba's Perogis store opening in Sunset Park offers a more convenient location for a beloved food item.
• 📚 In Westchester, a new used bookstore has opened in Mount Kisco, filling a void left by other vanished businesses.
• 🍸 The fashion brand Members Only opened a bar and store in Greenwich Village, bringing an 80s vibe to the neighborhood.
• 🍩 Ry's Donuts, an iconic Los Angeles shop, opened its first East Coast location in Greenwich Village, offering an alternative to chain donut shops.
• 🍣 Downtown Brooklyn (now Boerum Hill) welcomed Hashi Market, a Japanese supermarket offering affordable sushi lunches.
• 🥃 Cafe Brio on Montague Street in Brooklyn Heights is highlighted for its unique schnapps selection, aiming for an après-ski feel.

Trends and Reflections on Business Changes

• 📉 Many closures are attributed to the challenges of running restaurants and jazz clubs in New York City, with some citing COVID-19 impacts, increased insurance costs, and neighborhood gentrification.
• 🔄 A notable trend observed is the replacement of local restaurants with national chains like Chick-fil-A, a pattern that elicits sadness from long-time residents.
• 💊 Interestingly, as some large chain pharmacies have closed, smaller, independent drugstores appear to be opening in their place, a shift some listeners are observing.
• 🎶 The final performance at Swing 46 Jazz and Supper Club marks the end of an era for live big band jazz in Times Square after 28 years.