Just days after Au Breve put out this signboard sending a shot across the bow of the Dunkin’ Donuts that recently opened a block away, the Cooper Square espresso bar has shut up shop, placing a considerably less cheeky sign on its doors to notify customers that it’s “closed for renovations.”
Was Dunkin’ the nail in the coffin for the pint-sized store serving a decent cup of joe to a clientele arguably made up of NYU and Cooper Union students? Or is Au Breve just gearing up for round two of the fight?
We’ve reached out to its owners for comment. In the meantime rest assured that Cafe Zaiya, on the other side of Dunkin’, is still going strong: an employee reached there yesterday said she hadn’t noticed any downtick in business since the chain opened.
