(Photo: Daniel Maurer)
El Beit, once named one of America’s “Top 10 Coolest” indie coffee shops, has closed after nearly eight years of service on Bedford Avenue. A sign on the window advertises an auction at 4:30 p.m. today. Workers inside wouldn’t or couldn’t tell us the reason for the closing, and whether it’s permanent, but everything inside of the place is tagged to go. Health department records indicate that inspectors closed the cafe during an October 21 inspection. We’ve reached out to El Beit via Facebook for further information.
One of the first chic coffee shops to pave the way for the Starbucks Reserve, El Beit took over the scrappier Read Cafe & Bookstore (remember The Read? this video might jog your memory) in January of 2008; its back garden quickly became a go-to for laptop lizards. We’re bummed to lose it on this fine day, but if you’re in the market for a La Marzocco, you best get down to 158 Bedford Avenue by 4 p.m. today.