Photo: QueensPost
July 8, 2014 By Christian Murray
A long-serving Sunnyside eatery has gone out of business.
New Post Coffee Shop, which has been located on the corner of 40th Street and Queens Blvd for more than 50 years, closed yesterday. Several workers were outside the store carting away food items and pots & pans.
The space is most likely going to be taken over by a fast-food franchise, according to a well-placed source. “It’s a franchise everyone will be happy with,” the source said.
New Post Coffee Shop has had many problems with the health department in recent times. In the past two years, the eatery has been closed twice after racking up a lengthy list of violations.
The coffee shop gained a great deal of attention about 10 years ago, when a man was shot and killed inside the eatery in front of several customers (see article). The victim had been in a dispute with a man about a block away from the shop and ran inside to seek refuge.
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72 Comments
I’m so sad to hear New Post closed. The Mexican food was great, and the brothers were always so nice to me. I ate there regularly for 7 years when I lived on Greenpoint Ave. Friends and I went there for the Chilaquiles, and tostados de tinga.
I went a few times before they were shut down by the health dept a couple years ago, but after that, never returned. Pete’s has always been too convenient and reliable.
@Tony Baloney: you’re right, Williamsburger is one of the best things going in Sunnyside. They have a small menu but its very well executed.
The chili dog, burger, and wings are all great if you’re in the mood for that kind of thing. For some reason good wings can be hard to find, theirs are excellent. The pickle plate app is damn good. I’ve talked to the owner a few times, he’s a very nice guy.
And yeah. A franchise that “everyone will be happy with”? The chance of that is about as fat as the average Sunnyside resident.
How about a Bareburger?
KFC!!!
How about a bakery that specializes in fresh baked bread?
yo quiero taco bell?
Two boots pizza
well, if it is another subway, it will compete with the other 4 in the area. if its gotta be fastfood, the a pizzahut or KFC would be nice, but i doubt that would happen. a shake shack would also be nice, but they usually operate on high volumes, dont they?
I bet you anything it’s going to be a Subway’s. “EAT FRESH” hahahah.
I’m so sure of it. I’m so sure, I wager I’ll never make another Hipster comment again.
Sunnyside pizza is too sweet. I like the seeds but the sweet taste makes me sick. Give me Uncle Jimmys on Skillman.
Fingers crossed for a Chicken Delight!
Sad after so many years. I liked the Rose.
I’d like to see Sunnyside Pizza break down the wall and expand a little bit.
It’s gonna be a Sonic.
We don’t need good bagels. Get over yourself. Go eat a donut.
The reason the rose closed was because of its greedy no good landlord. He pushed poor Mike the owner like his bitch, he thinks he knows the restaurant business but doesn’t have a clue. The rose was good but not great. It doesn’t need to return.
This area doesn’t need any more hipsters the ones here have no money come from no money and just can’t afford Brooklyn.
It will be another Starbucks bank on it.
The two Brothers were rude I’m glad it closed
Chain opening here? Hope its an Adam & Eve!!!!!
I’ve been in this neighborhood long enough to know that it’s not going to change anytime soon. I’ve seen all the businesses come and go. Like clockwork. The truly innovative businesses/restaurants in our neighborhood never seem to get a fair shake (see Cory’s comment above, Williamsburger, which is the best thing going in all of Sunnyside, in my opinion, but so far on the fringe that most are completely oblivious of its existence).
A franchise that “everyone will be happy with”? Good luck with that. What we need is another self-serve frozen yogurt shop. That’s the ticket. As soon as Wendy’s follows Mickey D’s suit (i.e., demolishes the existing restaurant and rebuilds a new splashy version), I will be a proud, loyal consumer.
If anything changes in the next 10 years, I will be surprised.
Yes to Brooklyn Bagels and no, it doesn’t “turn a neighborhood”. We just need good bagels. Get over it.
No to Brooklyn Bagels — do we have to turn this neighborhood into Greenpoint or Williamsburg, complete with tattooed entitled new New Yorkers, just because it’s a nice place to live?
A lot of these comments are really nuts!
The old New Post was great, yes it was! Tommy remembered everyone’s name and if you sat at the counter, he’d be your waiter too!
The brothers were nice, but were not the friendliest folks around. Once they took over the place went downhill.
From 1996 to about 2007 I went there almost every weekend. There always used to be a wait on weekend mornings.
Then the place went downhill fast and people stopped going. It got downright unhealthy and was shut down a few times. The service got bad too, and they couldn;t keep a waitress.
Why is anyone surprised they closed? They ran an old school NYC coffee shop into the ground.
Stop blaming “hipsters” on these changes! There are a few yuppies bumping around, but this ain’t Greenpoint.
The really culprit is the greedy shyster landlords that don’t even live in this neighborhood – it’s not the geek from Idaho who thinks he’s cool.
Won’t happen, but if it is a chain, fingers crossed for Arby’s! There are none in Manhattan. A couple in Queens, but farther out and not really accessible by public transit.
Or Roy Rodgers . . . even less likely, but we can dream.
My husband is the architect for Chipolte. As far as he knows, there isn’t one planned at that location.
Real estate may not be finished with the contract, so he wouldn’t have the job yet, but right now, he has nothing about it.
Melissa, you can go to Foxy’s and choose the very same thing. Irish Breakfast or Huevos Rancheros…and its WAYYYYYY better. I go to Foxy’s all the time.
Damn I shouldn’t say anything, now I risk seeing all these mongoloid hipsters take over it. but yeah…Foxy’s…the post will not be missed.
I think Butcher Block should open another Rose Coffee shop.
It was located on Queens Blvd. betw. 44th & 45th.
They had the best fresh turkey sandwiches and coffee. Best quality meat for dinner. Best pancakes. Come Back Rose!!
I will never understand why they closed. It had good food, good service, and was reasonably priced. I miss that place.
Sorry to see the Post go, despite it’s recent decline. Tommy and the Mexican brothers were among my first acquaintances in Sunnyside and the diner was an amazing place to be on a busy weekend morning. Watching Tommy and the Mexican brothers manage the orders and run the counter on a busy weekend morning was half the joy of eating there. Whenever guests from outside the U.S. would come to visit me, the Post was the place they wanted to eat to get the full New York diner experience. Where else could you choose between a full Irish breakfast or a huevos rancheros? Truly, the place wasn’t the same after Tommy’s passing, but the brothers were kind and did their best, I guess. Wishing them luck with whatever venture they move on to next.
@Preserving Sunnyside History
We all can feel your pain. But what can we do? It’s not like the New Post Coffee Shop will resurrect from the dead just like that. I’m disappointed just as every-other longtime residents are. I really hope this “franchise everyone will be happy with…” is not a hipster based franchise.
P.S: Gentrification is already starting to die down. So there’s nothing to worry about.
It won’t be a Chipotle or anything else that appeals to the gentrifying recent arrivals. It will be a grease bomb fast food joint that appeals to the hordes of high schoolers who swarm the 40th St. station after school lets out. Look at what is around that area and succeeding: Sunnyside Pizza (grease bomb), Oasis (grease bomb), Burger King (grease bomb), McDonalds (grease bomb), Chinese take out joint (grease bomb). Need I go on? The few nicer establishments in the neighborhood are further along Queens Blvd and on Skillman. Post’s location is prime grease pit real estate, so whatever chain place takes over that spot will be heating up their deep fryers soon.
Guys it says most likely but nobody really knows it’s for sure. I hate to hear this as much as the rest of you, I own williamsburger on 37th and greenpoint it’s a year we are open this past June. This neighborhood deserves better and theirs no better time for independent operators to take over the boulevard.
This is the problem why independent operators don’t get their fair shake, these old time building owners don’t care and see a franchise as guaranteed rent roll. Trust me I have met many around the hood and they all work from the same playbook. They won’t negotiate or give any time to build a new space. This neighborhood is getting better people moving in and willing to spend money on better food and beverages but lacks on choice because of these old timers.
I would love to have that space and bring a great culinary concept to this wonderful neighborhood but these building owners don’t support the small guys. We have to be more vocal and stick together as a community. And support small business. Tell your Chef friends to come to this neighborhood and open up a business.
Lots of good times here and great waitresses; tres cool..
The Crete sign is still up there
Fingers crossed for a Long John Silvers!
Remember the Crete? In it’s prime, the best place for a meal in Sunnyside.
Sorry but that was a very close race between the Post and the Crete.
And who can forget Queens Burger next to OTB.
The only franchise everyone can be happy with…
There’s only one and its called…
In-N-Out Burger
yeah, you know what I’m talkin bout!!
But they ain’t never moving to NYC
They can mow down White Castle and that whole row of stores and put it there. keep it simple, gimme da cheeseburger, vanilla shake, fries…. nothing else needed…. but maybe a warm California night so I can eat it outside. Goddam perfection….
Yes, yes another bagel place. This one is horrible. The guy who owns it us a nice man and has been here forever but his bagels suck.
Born in 63 and lived here my whole life. Went to the Post with my mother as a kid. Lucy, the waitress always helped us.
It will be a Chipotle. No doubt. There’s already a Dunkin Donuts on 42nd and Queens Blvd and virtually event other chain already exists on the boulevard.
I agree with “Natty”, we need a good bagel place in the neighborhood. A quality store like BB would be welcome with open arms. Dave’s doesn’t cut it for me and the Mrs.
“It’s a franchise everyone will be happy with,” the source said.”
Yeah right! I’m already sad! I can’t even imagine what is going to happen next! This used to be my favorite place for coffee.
P.S.: Forget “Moving up!”! Gentrification is plaguing Sunnyside!
50 years really?
I lived in Sunnyside 1966-1992 and I’m drawing a complete blank on this joint.
I guess you never walked By!
Goodbye Old Sunnyside welcome to the New Sunnyside where we have the likes of Venturo and Cafe bene . One by one the Old disgusting Bars are being re-furbished and are now more modern. Came here in 2000 and was disgusted by the patrons who went to these bars smelly old farts who were well pass there prime trying to hit on the few young women who went into those places.
i used to regularly walk by this place, but i didn’t know it had been open for 50 years. hopefully the new fast food restaurant will be something we don’t have in the neighborhood.
I’m with Sycamore. I will not be happy with a franchise, and I will not patronize them.
Andreas, thanks for the brief history. I bet there are many stories that can be told from that place, perhaps you will consider publishing several on these pages. As for a fast food franchise that will please everybody in a store of such relatively small size, only a Carvel shop comes to mind.
Not queens kickshaw! That is the stupidest hipster dump ever. Really. So stupid.
Wow, thanks for that fascinating history of the Old/New Post Coffee Shop. How interesting! I really wish that I knew some of those characters that Andreas spoke about. Wacky! Actually I’m glad that roach infested place is gone. Another Chipolte.
Good Riddance. This place was a dump through and through. Ate an over priced spinach pie there. It was terrible. I couldn’t get my money back..so I cursed the place. I said it would close down and my prophecy came true.
For the people wondering why a fast food joint will replace it. It’s because you live in effin SUNNYSIDE. a pit stop…don’t you see that yet? It’s a boulevard! not a neighborhood. People stop to eat before they go on their way. They are just passing through.
@Natty–YES!!!! Brooklyn Bagel would be so wonderful. Here’s hoping.
sorry Andreas – how forgetful of me yes he was BIG JOHN larger than life and then Jimmy………
“It’s a franchise everyone will be happy with,”
What a ridiculous statement.
Just by the few posts on here alone you can already tell that there is trouble a-brewin’.
I vote for a DQ, whose with me?
I would like to see a nice craft beer restaurant similar to Queens Kickshaw in Astoria open there. We don’t need more fast food places in the neighborhood.
Probably another dental office or hair salon
How about Brooklyn Bagel & Coffee Company? We need one here!
Nobody wants a fast food restaurant, but I’ll bet Dunkin Donuts outsells Alpha Donuts, and that our supermarkets sell more machine-made bagels than the real bagel store does. Unless we patronize our local small business owners, we are going to wind up with anonymous corporate fast food joints.
did it shut down because of the failed health inspections or due to general financial problems?
You know what I am thinking, if we had sunnyside post back in 2005 and this news were reported it would be a proof that sunnyside was getting worse, but not that I saw this, it made me realize it is not as bad at least we don’t have godfather style restaurant shootings anymore, and what happened to this guy, nobody every found him, that mustachioed Hispanic, middle-aged, 5-foot-8, and wearing a black coat, gunman.
Also wasn’t this shop recently closed due to healt dept violations? Or was it another cafe?
I wonder what this franchise that “everyone will be happy with” will be. Anyone, any ideas?
A good short-order cook, good coffee, comfortable booths. That is what I would like.
Take your chain food places and dump them in the trash. They serve Frankenfood.
Chipotle?
Panera Bread?
The Old Post diner was a clean place many years ago. But, I suppose the new ownership just didn’t know how to maintain a clean kitchen–roaches everywhere, and during the day. Very interested what will open up next.
Oh please not more fast food.
Pret? Lol. Not in this neighborhood. Not in a million years.
The Post was owned by my grandfather since 1969 BIG JOHN “The Greek”, My father met my mother (Johns Daughter) while he was working there. When my grandfather John went legally blind in the late 80’s he then sold it to my uncle Jimmy. After Jimmy got sick in the 90’s he sold it to Leo and his cousin. Tommy was PART OF The Post , great man and family friend. Now Tommy and my grandfather Big John are running The Post Coffee Shop in the sky. Susan maybe you’re thinking of my father George that worked there.
Andrea remember you when you where a little baby running around with your cousin George. I worked there for Twelve Years. Miss them all.
why a fast-food franchise?!!!! can’t we have something unique and nice. rather than manufactured and predictable?
Taco Bell. Guaranteed. Will draw in the Mexicans.
the Post was originally open 24 hrs a day when I moved into sunnyside when George the Greek owned it, then his son-in-law, took it over but the person that held it all together was Tommy – the short order cook – he knew EVERYBODY’S order but once the short order cook tommy died – the Mexican brothers who had worked their way up and bought just couldnt run it the way it had always been done – I wish them good luck on their next endeavor
Pret-a-Manger, perhaps?
popeyes! no more starbucks