The tenant of the space occupied by the restaurant directly before it opened was a diner, Nick’s Coffee Shop.

[4] In 1993, the Coffee Shop changed part of its space into a venue for private parties.

[5] The New York City Department of Health ordered the restaurant to close for a period in 2007 after it failed an inspection.

[11] Portions of the space formerly occupied by the restaurant were rented to a Chase Bank branch and a location of the vegan food chain By Chloe.

[14][15] Several notable former members of the Coffee Shop's staff include dancer Emery LeCrone,[16] politician Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez,[17][18] and actress Maya Rudolph.