Yorkville Bagel & Cafe, Beloved by Locals, Closes

Yorkville Bagel & Cafe, a Second Avenue staple has abruptly closed its doors. Loyal customers online have pointed out that they’d heard about rent trouble, as well as growing competition in the neighborhood. The owners themselves appear to have shuttered things quietly on their end.

The store, located between East 94th and 95th streets, liked to describe itself as a cozy staple with a dedicated fanbase, the kind of place where one can enjoy the experience of ordering a New York bagel as much as the bagel itself. It took the place of a mini-market in 2017.

“Yorkville Bagel & Cafe, nestled at 1821 2nd Ave., the charm of a neighborhood deli comes alive. Known for their massive, thick bagels and generous cream cheese, this cafe has captured the hearts of locals,” a menu website for the shop reads. “The warm, attentive staff create a welcoming environment, making each visit feel personal. . . . Customers rave about the quality of their coffee and hearty sandwiches.”

If the Reddit users that populate r/uppereastside are any indication, this description is no empty praise; locals appear devastated by the cafe’s passing, with some anonymous users appearing to have intimate connections to both the shop’s workers and its owners, filling out just what may have happened to the people that made the store tick.

“The cashier told me last Sunday unfortunately they can’t afford the rent anymore and Heavenly opening took a lot of their customers,” said a user identified as fawningandcoming. Heavenly is a reference to Heavenly Market, a chain that has slowly been expanding throughout the Upper East Side.

Other users described how active Yorkville Bagel & Cafe was in the community, in a way that reached beyond merely serving them hearty helpings of lox spread or a bacon egg n’ cheese.

“I’m so devastated about this. They were a true mom and pop type shop. The woman who works the cashier and one of the deli guys told me the other day and they were tearing up,” user Ok_following_5552 wrote. “They have been so so wonderful over the years, welcoming in kids from local schools, elderly in the community, construction workers and more. It’s such a neighborhood spot and they always had a smile on their face. I will so miss them!!!”

“Man, I always buy my flowers there! The gentleman who arranges them is really nice,” user theresmychipchip added.

Ok_following jumped back to lavish well-wishes on the florist: “He’s so kind and knowledgeable! There was also a go fund me posted for him maybe 8 months ago as his family in his home country was in a terrible accident- I don’t recall the specifics.”

One Redditor provided an incredibly detailed personalized history of the shop, explaining that the bagel store is a family business. “Prior to being a bagel shop it was great family owned Korean market, the family sold it & one person who was already there took over lots of staff[,] including the wonderful guys who manages flowers and bagel counter stayed on. Will be missed,” Flimsy_Calendar_7664 wrote.

”They closed for a few months at one point to renovate, they eliminated sandwich counter and majority of groceries made salad bar smaller to focus on bagels after bagel express on 93rd and 2nd closed. The bagel guy and flower guys have been there forever the flower guy sang at my grandmothers funeral in 2003,” Flimsy Calendar elaborated.