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The start of September brought another round of neighborhood favorites and small-format concepts closing their doors across New York City, a reminder of how quickly the restaurant landscape can shift. These recent losses — from a long-running vegan pizzeria to a tourist-favorite chocolatier and a short-lived gimbap counter — matter because they affect local dining options, jobs, and the character of busy corridors.
September 4, 2026
Spotlight
Double Zero, the East Village vegan pizza and wine bar founded by chef Matthew Kenney, has shut permanently after roughly 12 years in business. Management cited rising ingredient and operating costs, lease pressures, and a softer demand for vegan dining in recent months as factors in the decision. The closure closes a chapter for a small-format spot known for wood-fired personal pizzas topped with plant-based cheeses and innovative vegan toppings.
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The restaurant’s identity shifted several times in recent years. In early 2025 the space briefly operated as a combined concept called PlantMade, before reverting to the Double Zero name earlier this year when Kenney returned as a consulting chef. Despite past plans to expand the brand to other cities, those outposts never materialized. Location: 65 Second Avenue, near Fourth Street.
And the rest…
Max Brenner closed its Union Square location on August 29, ending two decades of business tied to a larger chocolate-and-dessert brand known for theatrical sweet plates. The space once drew long lines with its interactive dessert offerings — crepes, chocolate-topped pizza, fondue and cocktail-style desserts — and was a staple for tourists as well as local sweet-tooths. Sources familiar with the situation point to weaker post-pandemic sales under newer ownership as a contributing factor. Address: 841 Broadway, between East 13th and 14th streets.
In the West Village, chef Jihan Lee’s small counter TBD Gimbap ran its final service in late August. Always intended as a limited run, the takeout-only window specialized in freshly rolled seaweed gimbap with fillings like bulgogi and spicy pork — a compact concept that lasted about six months. Lee said the closure is part of a planned pivot and signaled there may be more gimbap projects ahead; he remains involved with neighborhood hand-roll bar Nami Nori. Address: 31 Carmine Street, near Bleecker Street.
- Double Zero — East Village — vegan pizza & wine bar; closed after 12 years. (65 Second Avenue)
- Max Brenner — Union Square — chocolatier and dessert bar; closed Aug. 29 after 20 years. (841 Broadway)
- TBD Gimbap — West Village — short-run gimbap counter; ended late August. (31 Carmine Street)
What these closures signal is less about any single cuisine and more about the pressures facing small and mid-sized operators: higher input costs, lease challenges, and changing consumer habits that favor either ultra-cheap takeout or premium destination dining. For patrons, it means fewer neighborhood options and, in some cases, the loss of unique formats that don’t scale easily.
If you’ve spotted a recent restaurant or bar closure in your area, send details and an address to ny@eater.com so local coverage can be updated.
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