TeaNY on Rivington Street is Shuttered by the Taxman
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Oh, how the mighty have fallen. Again.
Two days ago, the New York Department of Taxation and Finance visited 90 Rivington Street and seized the popular vegetarian cafe, TeaNY, presumably for nonpayment of taxes. The restaurant is shuttered, with those bold red seizure stickers currently residing in the windows. Closure was so sudden, meanwhile, that pastries still sit in the glass case by the register.
Most businesses shuttered by the taxman tend to return in the weeks following. However, the tri-toned operator message about the phone line being “temporarily disconnected” doesn’t bode well. We’ll see if this reopening trend holds true for TeaNY.
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This taxman incident typifies some of the struggles the current iteration of Teany has endured the last six years. There was the 2009 fire that crippled operations for a year; a Department of Health mandated closure three years later; and also an appearance on the open market for possible sale.
Moby and then-girlfriend Kelly Tisdale pooled their efforts to open TeaNY at 90 Rivington Street back in May of 2002. It became a destination long before Hell Square earned its notorious nickname. Moby later divested, and a subsequent ownership change briefly resulted in Teany-ssimo. That rebranding was thankfully short-lived.
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TeaNY in 2011