Google Maps
Avenue Bakery, a kosher bakery that opened less than a year ago on the Upper East Side, appears to have permanently closed for business earlier this month.
Advertisement
Located at 1477 Second Avenue (on the corner of 77th Street), Avenue Bakery had its grand opening on February 10. Known for its wide selection of delicious baked goods, confections and coffees, the bakery quickly garnered a loyal customer base in the neighborhood while racking up a slew of four- and five-star reviews on Yelp and accruing several thousand followers on Instagram.
Free Upper East Side News, Delivered To Your Inbox
“Came here for the Grand opening. Excited to have tried out this place,” an early four-star Yelp review said. “Great addition to the area.” Many other reviewers shared similar sentiments over the following months.
A little over a week ago, however, customers took to the internet to ask questions about Avenue Bakery’s status after sensing that something was possibly amiss.
A Reddit post from ten days ago noted that construction was potentially the reason for the sudden closure, though other users suspected something more permanent; over the last week, Instagram users posted in the comments section of Avenue’s most recent post (from three weeks ago) to inquire about the bakery’s status. None have received any replies from the business.
Furthermore, Avenue Bakery’s Google Business Profile notes that it is “permanently closed.”
Advertisement
East Side Feed called the number listed on Avenue Bakery’s website and received no answer; the business has also yet to respond to a request for comment via email.
Avenue Bakery was owned and run by the father-daughter team of Misha and Raj Punwani, according to a Patch article published in February. The pair were also expected to open a location on the Upper West Side, though it’s unclear if that’s still happening. Additionally, they were previously known for running over a dozen Playa Bowls franchises, at least six of which are located in New York.
The space that Avenue Bakery is in was formerly divided and occupied by two other establishments: Zazzy’s Pizza, and a café called Innocent Yesterday, Guilty Today. Both businesses were shuttered by the New York Department of Health in September 2023 due to sanitation violations involving rodents and insects. Before that, popular bakery chain Le Pain Quotidien occupied the combined space before closing in 2020 during the height of COVID-19.
Have a news tip? Send it to us here!
Surprised it lasted as long as it did.
Location seems cursed.
A friend mentioned that Corner had many restaurants open and close consistently in that area due to a significant rodent issue, making them difficult to control. He worked for the Health Department a few years back.
A friend mentioned that Corner had many restaurants open and close consistently in that area due to a significant rodent issue, making them difficult to control. He worked for the Health Department a few years back.