The Brooklyn Eagle reports today that The Wine Bar at 50 Henry has shut down for good in the wake of the Busted Chef scandal. As former manager/co-owner Dan Kaufman awaits indictments from a grand jury that is meeting this week, employees at the Wine Bar were told today that they were out of work and the bar was shutting down. Yesterday, The Blue Pig, Oven and The Busy Chef at 60 Henry Street were shut down in addition to another Busy Chef on Court Street that shut down last week. The entire Busy Chef Empire has now crumbled in the wake of the Kaufman’s alleged credit card fraud.
The Wine Bar at 50 Henry was clearly the most popular of the BCE establishments. Its casual atmosphere and friendly staff were a big draw. Led by restaurant vet Amanda Green, the bar opened in January and quickly won a following. It was still growing when Green passed away in June.
Now in the shadow of alleged criminal activity, the one light of hope in the ongoing saga of the Corner of Cranberry has been turned off. Today, you can add the names of the BCE employees who are jobless to the list of reported victims of the alleged crimes of the Busted Chef.
UGH.
This is the problem with renting so much space to one business concern. First we had a raft of subpar palces and now we have a whole row of vacant spaces…Not good.
This really does bite. In this economy, the last thing we need are empty spaces, especially in a building where the landlords have no qualms about holding out for their price. Wonder how they’ll feel about now having 5 empty storefronts in a row.
Funny that the Post describes the stores as “a string of hip Brooklyn Heights shops”….I guess it is a statement comparing these shops relative to the lameness on Montague St.
as long as the types of shops that are on montague don’t migrate to henry, we’ll be ok…..
has contact info for the owners ever been posted?
The should never have closed El Cubatino.
I also thought El Cubanito was a good fit, fun atmosphere, good drinks, specific dishes were great (served in a pineapple) and live music a few times a week.
Why didn’t it last?
Maybe there really is a curse.
We definitely need a mattress store down this way. And a bank branch or a Duane Reade.
…and a cellular service store, and an optical shop, and a doggie boutique…
Hi everyone,
I’m writing a story about the wave of identity theft on Henry Street for the New York Times. If anyone was a victim and is willing to be quoted in the story, I’d love to hear from you tonight (have to file by tomorrow a.m.) My email address is courtneys@nytimes.com. Thanks!
I propose that we all agree to have an indefinite moratorium on the hackneyed “I’d love to see a bank/cell phone/eyeglass store in such and such vacant space” comments.
Does anyone know if any CC numbers were stolen but not used? I just moved out of 80 Cran, and used to get coffee and things at B.C all the time. I found out today when I tried to use my debit card at the bank that the number was “compromised” but they wouldn’t tell me from where. No untoward charges, thank god, but creepy nonetheless. Almost as creepy as the one employee there who wouldn’t take no for an answer to his attempts to hit on me.
Hoppy, agreed. Someone might take those comments seriously. :P
@elizabells Banks will now cancel credit/debit cards if they were used by a compromised merchant, regardless of whether or not a fraudulent charge has occurred with the specific card.
so whats dan up to now whos credit cards is he swiping, and whos money is he stealing. rumor has it that he also stole from his parents, thats why you never hear about them in the background. both parents disowned him. what a pathtetic man, sick is the word for dan he belongs in a mental institute. and his druggy girlfriend shes no better.
lolita , just what “druggy” girlfriend are you referring to ? you don’t know as much as you would like to think ! as far as who stands by him.