Quick Bites: Cozy Soup ‘n’ Burger — a 54-year Greenwich Village institution — announces June 21 as its final day. Meanwhile, Chama Mama’s Georgian bakery concept Let’s Chama lands in Bushwick, Lonnies opens in Boerum Hill, and Six Coasts by Smorgasburg brings Pan-American seafood to the Brooklyn waterfront.
June is here, and the NYC dining scene is delivering both heartbreak and excitement. Here’s everything that opened, closed, or made major news in the last 48 hours.
New Openings
Let’s Chama — Bushwick (Now Open)
The team behind beloved Georgian restaurant Chama Mama has expanded to Bushwick with a new 6,300-square-foot flagship at 81 Morgan Avenue, Brooklyn — and folded in a dedicated bakery concept called Let’s Chama. The space is split into three connected experiences: a 64-seat main dining room, a 25-seat bar and lounge, and a 14-seat bakery nook serving khachapuri, mushroom pies, chocolate cigaretti, and specialty lattes. Bakery hours run Monday–Friday 8 a.m.–6 p.m. For serious Georgian food in Brooklyn, this is the move.
Lonnies — Boerum Hill / Brooklyn Heights (Opens This Week)
From the team behind Inga’s Bar, married duo Sean Rembold and Caron Callahan are opening Lonnies at 112 Bond Street, Brooklyn. The vibe is cozy Art Deco, and the menu is comfortably classic: chicken under a brick, a daily prime rib special, burgers, and Basque cheesecake. One for the neighborhood regulars.
Six Coasts by Smorgasburg — Brooklyn Waterfront (Now Open)
Smorgasburg’s new permanent concept, Six Coasts at 146 Carder Road, Brooklyn, is a Pan-American seafood restaurant with harbor views of Lower Manhattan. The menu leans coastal and creative — snapper tiradito with soursop leche de tigre, blue crab and plantain croquettes, and a cocktail list built around coastal spirits. A strong summer opening.
Love Thy Neighbor — West Village (Now Open)
At 55 Christopher Street, Manhattan, chefs Shigefumi Kabashima and Elias Popa have opened a Japanese-NYC hybrid bar and restaurant. Evening service is live with Japanese-inspired tapas, sandos, and shareable plates alongside reinterpreted highballs and martinis. Café hours and weekend brunch are coming soon.
Closings
Cozy Soup ‘n’ Burger — Greenwich Village (Closing June 21)
This one stings. Cozy Soup ‘n’ Burger at 739 Broadway, near Astor Place, has announced it will close for good on June 21, 2026 — ending a 54-year run that started in 1972. Third-generation owner John Strats cited rising costs and declining business. The diner was known for its oversized burgers, thick split-pea soup, and being a reliable late-night refuge for students, night owls, and NYU locals for more than half a century. A GoFundMe campaign was launched earlier this spring, but it wasn’t enough to turn the tide. If you haven’t been, you have three weeks.
Red Lobster Times Square — Midtown (Closing June 14)
Red Lobster’s Times Square location at 5 Times Square is shutting down on June 14 after more than two decades. The chain cited prolonged construction disruptions and redevelopment plans for the closure. Not exactly a loss for the culinary soul of the city, but notable for the sheer scale of the space it’s vacating in the heart of Midtown.
On the Radar
Dishoom, the London cult-favorite Indian café, has officially confirmed its first U.S. location is coming to Lower Manhattan — no opening date yet, but the announcement is real. Expect the same Irani café–inspired menu (black dal, bacon naan rolls, chai) that has New Yorkers planning trips to London just to eat there. Also watch for Sendo (43 West 8th Street, Greenwich Village), a budget-friendly omakase counter from chef Tsuyoshi Takahashi, formerly of Sushi Noz, now open and drawing early buzz.
