
Photo by Pavita Singh
Alexandra Shapiro, the owner of Flex Mussels, is about to unveil the reimagination of her dad’s popular UES seafood joint – after a hiatus of about 40 years.
Bobby Shapiro owned and operated Hoexter’s Market from 1977 to the mid-1980s. He and Alexandra later went on to open Flex Mussels in 2008.
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The New York Times reported that the new Hoexter’s (with a silent ‘o’ and without the word ‘Market’) will be back in business on Saturday at 174 East 82nd Street, steps from its original location – though the restaurant told us they’re being held up by Con Ed at the moment, so to stay tuned for the exact opening date.
The space at 174 East 82nd Street was previously home to Flex Mussels, but the restaurant had to vacate the space in 2022 due to a fire. Flex Mussels ended up moving about a block away, which left the old location vacant.
The Times describes an interior filled with original restaurant photos and ‘brick and plaid’ walls, with menu highlights including a Faroe Island salmon and pork Milanese. Shapiro has hired Chef Lauren Schwichtenberg to lead the kitchen.
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Shapiro was originally inspired to revitalize Hoexter’s after stumbling across an Etsy listing for a matchbook from the original eatery. Earlier this year, she described the new restaurant as a “real old New York neighborhood place” where customers can sit at the bar and enjoy a range of foods like shrimp cocktail, burgers, and steaks.
Check out hoexters.com for updates, or @hoexters on Instagram.