Popular W. Village Bagel Shop Sues Landlord Over Bid to Evict Establishment Due to Long Lines
Apollo Bagels, located on W. 11th St. & Greenwich Ave., wants the eviction halted after deputizing an employee as a line monitor. The building’s landlord wants the popular bagel shop to be banished, after claiming that other shops are complaining.
A popular bagel shop in the West Village could face eviction after its landlord accused it of not controlling its outdoor customer lines, leading the shop to sue to avoid being forced out of its building.
In a Nov. 18 complaint, an attorney for Apollo Bagels named Steven I. Fox–located on W. 11th St. and Greenwich Ave.–acknowledged that the store has become an “internet sensation” and attracted a “cult-like following.” Fox added that this has led to some impressive lines, which are concentrated on 11th St., on certain “Friday and weekday mornings.” The lawsuit notes that Apollo Bagel has a lease with BLDG Management Co., which is represented through an LLC.
BLDG Management Co. had now filed a lease default notice, the lawsuit continued, because the lines “allegedly obstruct neighboring tenants access to their premises.” While left unspoken, these neighboring premises include Li-Li Chocolates and Mighty Quinn’s Barbecue. If left uncorrected by Nov. 30, the lease will reportedly be cancelled.
As a rebuttal, the suit claims that the store’s owners have hired a “full-time” line monitor to prevent excessive queuing. This person will “supervise the customers waiting in line,” as well as shift the line so that it doesn’t overrun other businesses, the suit reads.
Apollo Bagels had also posted ropes and signs to deter obstructive line formation, Fox wrote, which was confirmed during a Nov. 20 visit to the premises by Our Town Downtown; only one sign was present, possibly due to the lack of lines at the time, which pointedly read: “Please be mindful of our neighbors and do not block our entrances.”
Despite this, the suit continued, BLDG Management Co. had “rebuffed” these corrective measures. Their landlord has alleged that the lines violate Apollo Bagel’s lease, by creating a “nuisance” and allowing business to occur outside of the store’s regular premises.
Interestingly, Fox went on to claim that the bagel shop had been asked by BLDG Management Co. to simply relocate customer lines to Greenwich Ave., which would also undoubtedly be outside of their premises. While this might stop any obstruction of their neighbors on W. 11th St., the suit claims that the diverted lines would lead to unavoidable blockage of the restaurant Moonflower, as Greenwich Ave.’s sidewalk is narrower.
It will also be untenable, Fox wrote, because it would “interfere” with residential tenants living on that street. As a matter of fact, he said that the bagel shop had already “tried” the suggestion, and that it caused “more issues. “
All this should lead a court to provide an injunction against eviction, the suit concludes, because doing so would have an “irreparable” effect on Apollo Bagels. This ostensibly means that it would be forced to close, ending the reign of an internet sensation.
It’s hard to say that some of Apollo Bagel’s W. 11th St. neighbors are enthusiastic about the possibility of an eviction, either, even if it would alleviate the alleged problem of obstructing their entrances. When reached for comment by Our Town Downtown, a representative of Li-Li Chocolates said that they “loved our neighbors,” despite kindly admitting that the lines could be a bit gnarly.