Feb. 8, 2017 By Hannah Wulkan
Popular New Orleans themed restaurant Sugar Freak will be closing its doors at the end of the month, following several other 30th Avenue spots that have recently bit the dust.
Sugar Freak, located at 36-18 30th Avenue, will officially close on February 28, after about five years in business.
The Cajun-creole restaurant opened in 2011, and was known for its funky interior and authentic Louisiana cuisine.
Sugar Freak is not the first restaurant to close its doors on 30th Avenue in the past few years.
On a street that is known for its plethora of restaurants of all kinds, quite a few restaurants and shops have closed to retool or permanently shut down in recent years.
Frozen yogurt shop 16 Handles closed its doors earlier this year at 37-07 30th Avenue, though did not cite a reason upon shutting down.
Fishtales Bar, located at 38-14 30th Avenue, closed in early 2016 and has since been replaced with The Wolfhound, an Irish pub that features live music.
Similarly, whisky and wine bar Bourbon and Vine at 36-05 30th Avenue closed down in September of 2015, and Indian restaurant Kurry Qulture opened in its place.
Gastropub Marketa shut down at the end of 2014, and has since been replaced by Latin-fusion restaurant Blend Astoria.
Several restaurants on 30th Avenue have also shut their doors to rethink their concepts, as their former business models were not financially viable.
Burnside Biscuits, a southern-style venture by the owner of Bareburger at 32-07 30th Avenue, closed down last fall, and will soon reopen as a barbecue joint called Salt & Bone by the same owners.
Upon closing Bareburger, spokesperson Jessical Naldo explained, “Ultimately it was a concept that with rising rent prices, and when you factor in different aspects, it just wasn’t as strong as they wanted it to be.”
Similarly, Mexican barbecue joint MexiBBQ at 37-11 30th Avenue closed in December, though in a note to customers hung in the window wrote, “We will be closing for a short time while we regroup but please stay tuned as we have more tricks up our sleeve!”
Grand Café, at 37-01 30th Avenue, announced on Facebook at the end of last month that it would be shutting down for renovations, and would reopen in the spring under new management.
The high rate of closures has not been limited to the restaurants on 30th Avenue, however.
Popular discount store Bargain Stop at 33-02 30th Avenue will close its doors on February 28 after 25 years in business, citing the building owner’s desire to develop the site.
Ellinika Agora Fruit and Vegetable Market at 32-12 30th Avenue will also likely close down soon due to development, based on permits filed with the Building Department to build a three-story mixed use building on the spot.
The Rite-Aid pharmacy at 31-10 30th Avenue shut down in 2015, and a new branch of local chain Greenbay Market opened up in its place last month.
A framing shop, Oh! Photo and Custom Framing, went out of business in 2013, and was replaced with café Gossip Coffee, which opened in 2015 at 37-04 30th Avenue.
Now Greenmarket
