New York City’s fourth Krispy Kreme donuts opens in Harlem today
Krispy Kreme appears to be forging ahead with its 2020 comeback, despite the novel coronavirus pandemic. The newest location of the popular donut chain opened in Harlem this morning, in a building once occupied by the Baby Grand saloon and jazz club. The store, located at 319 West 125th Street, near Saint Nicholas Avenue, will be open Sunday to Thursday, from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Donut delivery will be available to residents in the neighborhood.
The new Krispy Kreme is the national franchise’s fourth New York City location, after its flagship store at Penn Station and two additional stores in the Financial District and Midtown near Bryant Park, a signal that the brand is moving forward with previous plans for a NYC comeback in 2020. In January, the brand pledged to open five additional stores this year — including the ones in Harlem, FiDi, and Midtown, along with locations in the the Bronx near Fordham University and the Upper West Side — though it wasn’t clear whether those plans were on hold due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. The franchise had previously planned to open a 24-hour Times Square flagship store in May, though at the time of writing the project has yet to open.
In other news
— Tribeca’s popular underground barbecue spot Holy Ground has returned with a series of pop-ups across the city, according to co-owner Franco V. On Wednesdays, the team will be set-up at Nolita dive bar Ray’s; from Thursday to Sunday, they’ll be on the rooftop of Elsewhere in East Williamsburg; from Friday to Sunday they’ll be at Joe’s Auto Repair, on the corner of Meecker and North Sixth Streets in Williamsburg, dishing up barbecue out of a ’66 Chevy with a custom smoker built into the back; and on Sunday, they’ll be at cocktail bar Donna with chef Damon Wise.
— The State Liquor Authority issued 64 liquor license suspensions in July as part of its ongoing crackdown on social distancing violators. 46 of the 64 violations occurred at Queens restaurants and bars, according to the report, with another four in Brooklyn and six in Manhattan.
— Upper West Side pub George Keeley’s had its liquor license suspended over the weekend. Twelve patrons were sharing a single basket of popcorn, according to a press release from the SLA, which doesn’t meet the agency’s definition of a “substantial” amount of food.
— The Seaport District has set up 28 private rooftop spaces for socially distanced hanging in pairs as part of a new project called the Greens. The mini-lawns are available by reservation and include lawn chairs, umbrellas, mini Yeti Coolers, and phone chargers.
— Narrow sidewalks and streets have made it difficult for many Chinatown restaurants to reopen for outdoor dining. Some are finally opening their doors for the first time this week, including Chinatown great Wo Hop.
— A new database lists New York farms that deliver to customers across the state.
— Some of Astoria’s best restaurants are now letting customers download their recipes.
— Mood all week: