UES Turkish Crowd-Pleaser Beyoglu Closes Permanently After 20-Plus Years

Upper East Side Turkish staple closes after two decades

After more than two decades in the neighborhood, the Upper East Side’s crowd favorite Turkish restaurant Beyoglu — at the corner of East 81st Street and Third Avenue — has permanently closed, Patch.com first reported.

A sign posted on the restaurant says the owners had taken a massive financial hit because of the shutdown on dining-in due to COVID-19, and that the owners were also unable to extend their lease on their current location. A state mandate prevents businesses impacted by the novel coronavirus from being evicted from their locations, but the letter did not say what discussions took place between the Beyoglu owners and their landlord. Eater has reached out for comment.

Known for its doner kebab, hummus, and traditional Turkish fare, Beyoglu was particularly popular during warmer months with its outdoor seating that stretched around the corner. Beyoglu now joins more than a dozen NYC restaurants that have permanently shuttered since the start of the pandemic.

In other news

— Upper West Side pizza sensation Mama’s Too is offering 75 free pizza-making kits starting at noon today. Owner and pizza maker Frank Tuttolomondo will then host a pizza-making class on Mama’s Too’s Instagram page at 6 p.m.

— Trader Joe’s has extended shopping hours at all of its NYC locations. All locations will now be open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. They were previously closing at 7 p.m. during the pandemic.

— Governor Cuomo’s extension on the eviction moratorium to August will only apply to residents and commercial tenants who can show they’ve been financially impacted by COVID-19. However, it’s not yet clear what qualifies as a financial impact.

— NYC’s tiny fraction of lesbian bars including Cubbyhole and Ginger’s are in danger of shutting down permanently due to the ongoing pandemic.

— Popular Lower East Side bar Pianos has temporarily closed for the duration of the COVID-19 crisis.

— The State Liquor Authority is giving out nearly one million face masks to New York restaurant and delivery workers, according to a press release by the agency.

— Chicago ramen transplant Strings Ramen has reopened for takeout and delivery following a six-week closure due to the pandemic.

— New York restaurant fundraising group ROAR has launched an online cooking series with top NYC chefs like Win Son’s Trigg Brown, Taim’s Einat Admony, and Flora Bar’s Natasha Pickowicz to raise money for restaurant workers.

— Something we can all agree to: