Tag Archives | busted chef

Busier chef! The Court Street site is rented!

By on March 23, 2009 1:50 pm in Development, Food, News
Busy Chef at 111 Court St., taken earlier this month

Busy Chef at 111 Court St., taken earlier this month

The former Busy Chef hotspot at 111 Court St. has been rented to a new tenant, and looks like someone might be moving in shortly. Renovation and construction work has started, and building permits were issued on March 16.

But building owner Abe Gerges — who is also the King County acting administrative judge — would not disclose who signed the lease or what type of establishment it will be, saying only, “They will announce it when they are ready.”

The estimated $155,000 in renovations includes new walls, plumbing fixtures and a new mechanical system, according to Buildings Department records.

UPDATE: Gerges also adds that disgraced Busy Chef owner Alan Young will not be involved in the new enterprise. And also that the restaurant’s PR team won’t let Gerges talk about what’s coming, but a big announcement will come soon.
Continue Reading →

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Brooklyn Heights Wine Bar to (maybe) open in April!

By on March 6, 2009 7:20 pm in Development, Food, Nightlife

Construction is moving full-steam ahead at the future Brooklyn Heights Wine Bar at 50 Henry St., and owner Mark Lahm said he’s pushing for an April 1 opening date.

The Department of Buildings still has to make final approvals, Lahm said, but he is in the space each day, creating the wine and tapas menu, and sorting out construction and the security system.
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Busted Chef Case Still Pending

By on January 22, 2009 11:55 pm in Brooklyn Heights, crime, News

Former manager of the Busy Chef restaurants on Henry Street, Daniel “Busted Chef”Kaufman, is awaiting a trial date for 24 counts of alleged fraud after appearing in Kings County Criminal Court on Dec. 26, 2008. Kaufman, who faces seven years in jail after allegedly stealing approximately $25,000 from former customers’ credit cards, is undergoing a criminal investigation.

Kaufman, who managed former Brooklyn Heights establishments Wine Bar at 50 Henry, Busy Chef, Blue Pig Ice Cream, and Oven, was arrested in July 2008 for the alleged fraud, after which his businesses were shut down, causing dozens of workers to lose their jobs. After his arrest, Kaufman’s former partner and landlord Alan Young reportedly locked him out of his apartment. According to The Brooklyn Paper, some claim that Young was using Kaufman as a scapegoat for larger white-collar crimes.

Kaufman’s alleged fraud in Brooklyn was not the first time he has had financial troubles with restaurants. Prior to relocating to Brooklyn Heights, Kaufman owned the South Kitchen and Wine Bar in Boston. He opened the business back in 2005, and by 2006 its doors were closed. As the restaurant’s sales plummeted, Kaufman reportedly neglected to pay approximately $40,000 in rent to his former landlord, Michael Devlin. Continue Reading →

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Brooklyn Heights Wine Bar’s Liquor License Up for CB2 Review

By on January 5, 2009 5:22 pm in Food

The new joint venture between Henry’s End and Cranberry’s located at the space formerly known as the Wine Bar at 50 Henry Street will be called Brooklyn Heights Wine Bar.  The new owners will be pitching their case for a liquor license at this Wednesday’s (1/7) CB2 meeting according a public notice posted in its window this morning. The meeting will be held at the Brooklyn Hospital Center, 121 DeKalb Ave., North Pavilion, Third Floor Conference Rooms 3A and 3B at 6PM.

More to the point, the new owners have already stated that the manager of the disgraced Wine Bar at 50 Henry and its sister establishments, Dan Kaufman, will not be involved.   Moreover, entity information about the  LLC operating the new wine bar makes no mention of “Corner of Cranberry” kingpin Alan Young.

As for whether Young is still holding the lease to the storefront, BHB is awaiting a response from the landlord at 50 Henry Street for clarification.  However co-owner Mark Lahm tells the Brooklyn Eagle, “We didn’t buy the bar from Young, but we leased the space from the building’s landlord.”

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Busted Chef, 89 Others on B’Paper’s 2009 Watch List

By on January 2, 2009 12:20 am in Brooklyn Heights

Hot on the heels of the BHB Ten, the Brooklyn Paper has named its 90 to Watch in ’09.  Coming in at number 2 is Brooklyn Heights’ own Dan “Busted Chef” Kaufman:

Brooklyn Paper: 90 to Watch…: 2. Dan Kaufman: The co-owner of the Busy Chef restaurants, who was arrested last year on charges of swindling customers out of thousands by stealing their credit card numbers. But the fun is only beginning: This year, Kaufman’s trial will start — and his lawyer is saying that Kaufman is just a “patsy” for shadowy Brooklyn Heights restaurant partner Alan Young, whose eateries fold like origami. This is going to be the trial of the century!

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50 Henry Will Continue as Wine Bar from Owners of Henry’s End and Cranberry’s

By on December 30, 2008 1:15 pm in Brooklyn Heights, Food, News
Mark Lahm of Henrys End. Photo by gastrodamus via Flickr

Mark Lahm of Henry's End. Photo by gastrodamus via Flickr

BHB has confirmation that the space at 50 Henry Street will be a joint venture from the owners of Henry’s End (44 Henry Street) and Cranberry’s (48 Henry Street). The space will continue as a wine bar, and will also serve breakfast and lunch according to Mark Lahm at Henry’s End. The new place will be open for breakfast and lunch in late February 2009, but the wine bar won’t be open until the spring. Small plates (cheese, paté, creative salads) will be served at the wine bar for dinner. The overall idea of the new venture will be “casual, good food.”

Oh, and Alan Young, former owner of the “Busted Chef” businesses, will be totally uninvolved.

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New Life at Wine Bar

By on December 29, 2008 12:26 pm in Brooklyn Heights

The bright yellow exterior of the storefront at 50 Henry Street is now a more subdued shade of cranberry. According to workers at site formerly known at the Wine Bar at 50 Henry Street, an “American restaurant” will be opening there soon.

The wine bar and its sister stores Busy Chef, Blue Pig and Oven were shut down earlier this year when manager Dan Kaufman was accused of credit card fraud and identity theft.  Kaufman’s latest court appearance was scheduled for last Friday (12/26).  No further information is available at this time.

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Busted Chef Case Still Going

By on November 3, 2008 9:25 am in Brooklyn Heights

Dan “Busted Chef” Kaufman’s next day in court will be December 26, 2008 as determined at his last court appearance on October 15, according to Kings County Criminal Court records.  Contrary to erroneous reports on the Internets, no decision or plea have been recorded.

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Action at Busy Chef

By on October 9, 2008 10:34 am in News

As BHB Community member “Yo” pointed out yesterday, there’s something going on at the site formerly known as Busy Chef at 60 Henry Street.   There also seems to be activity at the old Wine Bar space at 50 Henry Street.  BHB regular nabeguy commented yesterday, “I also saw the activity in the Wine Bar space. I presumed that the broker-type was Alan Young spinning his web, but may be wrong. When I asked the guy who’s been watching the places lately if something was moving in, the question was met with a blank stare.”

Busy Chef, the Wine Bar at 50 Henry and Oven were all shut down over the summer after one of its employees Dan Kaufman was arrested and charged with several counts including identity theft related to credit card fraud. The case is currently before a Brooklyn Grand Jury.

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Chef of the Flies

By on August 26, 2008 10:14 am in crime, Food, News

“CS” sends in this photo, commenting:

I was just walking past Busy Chef  on Court Street and there were dozens of flies on the inside of the windows.  Seems like they might have closed up in a rush.  Wouldn’t be surprised if they left food behind and there were thousands of flies in there…

The Court Street location, as well as the Henry Street store and its siblings Oven, Blue Pig and the Wine Bar at 50 Henry were all closed abruptly in July after the arrest of manager Dan Kaufman on allegations of credit card fraud and identity theft.

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Former Busy Chef Employee: Alex

By on August 12, 2008 11:58 am in Brooklyn Heights

If you’re looking to hire a barista, look no further than former Busy Chef employee Alex. Any interested employers should contact BHB (webmaster AT brooklynheightsblog.com) and we’ll put you in contact with him. Here’s his resume: Continue Reading →

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Busted Chef’s Apartment Ransacked

By on August 7, 2008 8:22 am in Brooklyn Heights, crime, Food, News

The Brooklyn Paper reports that “Busted Chef” Dan Kaufman’s Pierrepont Street apartment – which the paper writes he rents from Busy Chef owner Alan Young – had its locks changed and was ransacked this week.  The paper’s calls to Young for comment went unanswered:

Brooklyn Paper: Busted Chef…: For the record, Brill said his client is innocent of the identity theft and credit card fraud charges, claiming instead that Kaufman was a scapegoat of larger crimes by Young and others.

The paper also steps up to the plate today and sheds light on Nasser “Nando” Ghorchian’s dealings with Alan Young and the Busy Chef related businesses.

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Attention Former Busy Chef, Oven, Blue Pig and Wine Bar Employees

By on August 4, 2008 1:46 pm in News

Being unemployed totally sucks.  Since my early career was spent in the wonderful world of radio, I may know just a little too much about being “on the beach”.  So when I got word here at BHB about the 50 folks who lost their jobs due to the “Busted Chef” scandal,  I just couldn’t sit on the sidelines.   For what it’s worth, a lot of folks read Brooklyn Heights Blog.  Some of those people may be looking to hire someone.  Why shouldn’t it be a qualified former Busy Chef Empire employee?

If you worked at any of the establishments recently closed and if you’re looking for a job,  send your resume and an optional photo to webmaster AT brooklynheightsblog.com.   Resumes should include an email address you’re comfortable sharing on the web.  We will not publish home phone numbers or addresses. In the coming week, we will post the resumes received and hope that someone out there in blogland can help you get back to work.

Homer Fink

Publisher

Brooklyn Heights Blog

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NY Times on the Busted Chef

By on August 4, 2008 8:22 am in Brooklyn Heights

Today the NY Times writes about the Busted Chef drama:

New York Times: Charges and Closed Shops Rattle..: Yet while the new establishments drew sizable crowds and seemed to have a promising future, there were disturbing rumblings about Mr. Kaufman. More than a year ago, commenters on the Brooklyn Heights Blog accused him of financial sleight of hand and outright fraud. Some employees said their paychecks began bouncing about three months ago.

Some also said that Alan Young, an owner of the businesses, told them within the last few weeks that Mr. Kaufman no longer worked for him and should not be allowed on the premises.

“I thought Dan was an owner — we all did, because he passed himself off as one,” said Farrah Powell, a manager at the Wine Bar. “I never met the real owners until all of this came to light. I think that was by Dan’s design, so we’d have no one higher up to talk to about his behavior.”

…Julia Horowitz, who owns the Blue Pig in Croton-on-Hudson, N.Y., and was a partner in the Henry Street shop, said Mr. Kaufman was a “con man who bamboozled the whole community” even as he was given full autonomy to run the shops. But Mr. Brill said that Mr. Kaufman was a victim of corrupt business practices by others and described him as “almost a patsy.”

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Prophecy on Henry?

By on August 3, 2008 7:16 pm in Brooklyn Heights

A BHB newshound sent in this photo taken on Henry Street.  An ad for ready.gov on a phone booth across from the ill fated Busy Chef  and associated restaurants reads: “At least one in four businesses never open after a disaster.”

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