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Hale & Hearty Reportedly Shutters Every Single NYC Shop

Plus, Gramercy bar Martiny’s is serving up caviar bumps on mannequin hands — and more intel

An exterior of a Hale and Hearty shop with a red awning and big white lettering spelling out the title of the chain.
Office lunch icon.
Via Google Maps
Erika Adams is the editor of Eater Boston.

Hale & Hearty, the soup-and-sandwich chain that has fueled countless sad desk lunches appears to have completely shut down in NYC. The New York Post reports that all 16 locations have “temporarily” closed with no further explanation. One downtown Manhattan branch was in the middle of two lawsuits — one from food vendor Chef’s Warehouse claiming nearly $160,000 in unpaid invoices and another from its landlord for $400,000 in unpaid rent — but it’s not clear what’s going on at the other locations, or if there is any plan to reopen. Eater has reached out to Hale & Hearty for more information.

A large Queens food pantry loses crucial operating space

Queens food pantry La Jornada is is need of a new home. Gothamist reports that the pantry — which operates 12 locations across the borough — is getting kicked out of its main hub in Flushing because it had “far outgrown” the area where it was originally licensed to operate. The pantry is currently looking for both temporary and permanent space to continue its work feeding thousands of Queens residents.

Chick-fil-A is moving in near Brooklyn College

Chick-fil-A, the national fried chicken chain with documented ties to anti-LGBTQ groups, is expanding in NYC. Its newest outpost will be a sprawling location in Midwood, at 1573 Flatbush Avenue, near East 31st Street, according to the New York Post. No word yet on a target open date.

Doing caviar bumps on your own hand is so last week

Buzzy new Japanese bar Martiny’s in Gramercy is taking the trend one step further and serving caviar bumps from a detached mannequin hand. There are two mannequin options — unscented and hinoki wood — and the dollop of caviar comes with a martini poured tableside for $28, according to Bon Appétit.

Turns out, smashing things while drinking can hurt people

A woman who visited Break Bar in the Garment District was “bloodied and needed surgery” New York Post reports. “I put my hand up to protect myself, and it went through my protective glove and severed my tendon,” the woman told the Post. She claims that the manager offered her a Band-Aid when she asked for help. Break Bar encourages patrons to smash glasses when they’re done with their drinks. “Enter our throwing range…We have targets set up with bells, public figures, and many other cool targets that you get to smash your glass against,” reads its website. There’s also a Wrecking Club where customers can break printers, monitors, and phones, and includes safety gear for $139-plus for a half hour. The customer seeks “unspecified damages and accuses the Break Bar of negligence,” the Post reports.