No, Sugar Hill Is Not Closing, Owners Of Bed-Stuy's Iconic Club Say

BED-STUY, BROOKLYN — No matter what you've heard, Bed-Stuy institution Sugar Hill Restaurant & Supper Club is not closing, owners have confirmed to Patch.

“Contrary to popular belief, Sugar Hill has not been sold,” said Aaron Freeman, son of owner and founder, Eddie. "We are not closing."

Freeman issued this denial Wednesday as rumors circulated online that the famous club and restaurant on Nostrand and Dekalb avenues had permanently shuttered its doors.

The rumors started on a community Facebook page on Sept, 18, with one member saying a DJ had claimed Sugar Hill was closing.

“He sold it cause he couldn’t get anymore money to do the repairs," one poster claimed. "Black business is dying really cause of high gentrification in this area period.”

The rumor floored Bed-Stuy residents who consider Sugar Hill a cornerstone of the community and spurred owners to post a response.

Sugar Hill updated their Facebook cover photo to read: “SUGAR HILL IS NOT CLOSING.”

Sugar Hill first opened its doors in 1979, quickly growing into a disco and R&B hotspot. In the 1990s, it became a de facto meeting place for leaders and politicians, hosting big names like Jesse Jackson and Hilary Clinton, wrote the New York Times in a 2019 article.

The same article says that Freeman's father has previously turned down multi-million dollar offers for the property.

Mayor Eric Adams is also a fan, having attended meetings and even part of his election-night victory at the restaurant. He has also referenced Sugar Hill as a foil when responding to criticisms that he spends too much time at elite members-only Manhattan clubs, like Zero Bond.

While the rumors were disheartening for Freedman’s father, the long-time operator and founder of Sugar Hill, to hear, Freeman said that he wasn't surprised.

“People just run with whatever,” Freeman said. “I’m in entertainment, I’m used to it.”

What's more, according to Freeman, the opposite is true: Sugar Hill is actually expanding.

The restaurant & club has plans to build a 30-unit residential development in their backyard through their company called Sugar Hill Development, Freeman told Patch.

The project is in the early stages, which may explain why building permits do not appear to have been filed with the Buildings department.

The lot at 217 Nostrand Ave. is zoned for mixed use, which means it can be developed with both commercial and residential properties, city records show.

Whatever comes of the development, Freeman assured Bed-Stuy that Sugar Hill won't be going anywhere.

“We've been open for 43 years," Freeman said. "And we're looking forward to the next 43.”