Seven Food Businesses on the UWS Were Burglarized This Week

Seven food businesses on the Upper West Side were burglarized within the same 24-hour period, the West Side Rag reports. Businesses affected include cupcake spot Billy’s Bakery, seafood shack Luke’s Lobster, and chain Joe Coffee, which were hit sometime between Sunday night and Monday morning. The incident follows other struggles neighborhood businesses have faced over the last year. In April 2022, several businesses were affected by local arsonist attacks.

Champs Diner is closing

Champs Diner, representative of an early wave of vegan restaurants in Bushwick, is calling it quits. A company Instagram post stated that the restaurant had been in business for 12 years over the course of two locations, citing “there isn’t just one reason” for the decision. The last day to get vegan breakfast plates will be Sunday, January 28.

Boca Santa is hosting a pop-up

Natalie Hernandez’s Boca Santa, a Mexican restaurant that fell victim to the pandemic, will be hosting pop-ups again at bar Doris. The event will run on February 4 and 5, 5 p.m. until sold out (cash only). Boca Santa first opened in January 2020 and was described as a space for “thoughtful, affordable Mexican food” before closing its storefront.

An Upper East Side steakhouse is relaunching

Hoexter’s Market, an uptown steakhouse that first opened in 1977, is being revived by original founder Bobby Shapiro’s daughter, Alexandra Shapiro, alongside the Flex Mussels team. It’s set to debut with an American-style brasserie menu at 174 E. 82nd Street, near Third Avenue, per the New York Times.