A Decades-Old Breakfast Burrito Favorite Is Being Relaunched by Employees

Earlier this year, Downtown Bakery, the decades-old East Village haunt known for its stellar breakfast burritos, shut its doors. A sign dated February 21 stated that the restaurant had been shut down by the order of the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene for operating without a permit. But as of March, there was some hope of a return, with the business maintaining that they were only temporarily closed. Now, EV Grieve reports that Downtown Bakery is indeed reopening in the 69 First Avenue space, near East Fourth Street. Only when it returns, it will be in the hands of longtime employees and brothers Ivan and Mario Marín, since Downtown Bakery’s owners are retiring, according to the publication. In its new iteration, the Maríns will call it Downtown Burritos Cocina Mexicana, alleging that “bakery” caused too much confusion. (The bakery name came from the fact that the space was originally an Italian bakery until the family from Puebla took it over in the ’90s).

Breakfast by Salt’s Cure quietly opened a Brooklyn outpost

The LA import specializing in oatmeal griddlecakes (don’t say pancakes) drew lines in the West Village when it touched down in NYC back in 2022. In early March, Breakfast by Salt’s Cure quietly opened its first Brooklyn location at 368 Court Street, near President Street, in Carroll Gardens.

Sandwich owners win the bid on Theatre 80 St. Mark’s

Ori Kushnir and Sivan Lahat, the team behind Foxface, which originally had a sandwich kiosk attached to the historic building, have reportedly won an $8.8 million bid for the building, according to local publication the Village Sun. The duo previously lived upstairs and has the intent of working with local theater groups to keep the theater alive (if you’re wondering, they also have worked in tech). Eater has reached out for more information. Meanwhile, the Foxface sandwich team is gearing up to open its own wine bar.

Nami Nori is serving a special menu for AAPI Heritage Month

From May 12 to 19, temaki spot Nami Nori will collaborate with other AAPI Brooklyn-based businesses like Hana Makgeolli (Korean rice wine producer), Win Son Bakery (the Taiwanese American spot from the Win Son team), and Di An Di (a plant-filled Vietnamese American restaurant) to launch a limited-offer menu at its Williamsburg outpost.