"P&Gs will be closing May 31st,reopening asap,Hopefully June 1st as a new business.Thanks everyone for the love,support and great music.and youre welcome for the booze ;)"
We grieved the vanishing of the old P&G in 2009 when it moved from its original 66-year-long location at the corner of 73rd and Amsterdam. An 80% rent increase from the landlord sent it packing, despite protests and petitions. We watched while it was gutted, hoped it could survive in its new location, and prayed the old neon sign would someday be restored and re-installed. At the time, the owner said of the business, "We hope that this ship can sail again."
They expanded into live music and making burgers, going up against the nearby Shake Shack. Said the owner to NY Barfly, "I’m going on a moral crusade against Shake-Shack. Why do people wait an hour in line for a burger?"
But the new location just wasn't the same. The old sign never returned. And few can defeat the Goliath that is Shake Shack.
What's coming here now is anybody's guess. A wine bar/cafe opened at P&G's old location. According to Yelp, people buy overpriced lattes there and get kicked out for wearing sandals.
In the defense of the wine bar/cafe that took over P&G's original space, no self-respecting adult male should be walking the streets of NYC wearing flip-flops, much less wearing them inside of a public eating establishment.
ReplyDeleteUgh, ugh and ugh.
ReplyDeleteSad. But not surprising. I walked by its old corner at 73rd the other day. Miss that sign.
ReplyDeleteI loved the P&G. Spent many a happy hour in the booths, listening to the juke box. I would come all the way from Astoria and Brooklyn to hang out there. I always thought it was the inspiration for the "Amsterdam Bar & Grill" in the Dortmunder books by the late great Donald E. Westlake. The best, funniest & most authentic books about NYC.
ReplyDeleteAgreed, Cappy Bringdown. But let's keep it unisex: no woman should waddle around in flip-flops in the city either.
ReplyDeleteThis is really sad news. The P&G was my first local hangout when I moved here in 1993. Good luck to Steve Chahalis and everyone who worked there. R.I.P. P&G.
ReplyDeleteI'm not surprised by this at all. I've been to P&G in both incarnations many times and Steve(and the name of course)are really the only similarities. When Steve's father wasn't around to watch what he was doing, he totally lost control of the place (and himself). The place should have made its nut on Tuesday nights alone, but having one big party became the most important thing. Just bad business.
ReplyDelete