Cafe Bliss & Minimart at 45-01 Queens Blvd., which closed earlier this month. The owners plan to relocate to a new spot three blocks away. (Photo: Nathaly Pesantez)
March 12, 2019 By Nathaly Pesantez
Cafe Bliss & Minimart, the corner store and eatery on 45th Street and Queens Boulevard, has closed after the owners say they were faced with steep rental fees, with plans already in place to reopen just blocks away.
The 45-01 Queens Blvd. corner had been a bodega for years, and had gone through an extensive renovation in past months that included new seating, furnishings and cleared windows for a new cafe/store concept.
The renovated corner, which offered a menu of breakfast platters, salads, sandwiches and Indian foods, was steadily growing in popularity before its closure earlier this month.
The location as seen in 2009 and in 2017. (Google Maps)
While the longtime owners of the family-owned business were unable to be reached by press time, they said on a March 5 post to the cafe’s Instagram page that high rents forced them to close their location. They promised, however, to reopen at 44-17 48th Ave., just three blocks to the south.
Sunnyside Shines, the local business improvement organization, also took to social media to spread the news about Cafe Bliss.
“Thank you Mina and Jhon…for your hospitality and for always being so kind,” reads Sunnyside Shines’ March 1 post. “We will miss having you at the corner of Queens Blvd and 45th Street.”
The BID said in subsequent comments that the new location would likely open sometime in the beginning of April.

































