Cafe Orlin Is Closing After 36 Years In The East Village: Reports

EAST VILLAGE, NY — The beloved St. Marks Place restaurant Cafe Orlin is closing next month after 36 years in the East Village, according to multiple media reports.

The longtime restaurant located in the heart of the East Village will shut down in October, according to Jeremiah's Vanishing New York, a blog that documents businesses and staples of New York as they disappear. The restaurant's last day in business will be Oct. 15, according to the blog.

It's unclear why the restaurant is closing.

"I don’t know," an employee at the cafe told Grub Street. "I think the owner is tired, after 36 years."

The cafe did not respond to an email or a phone call from Patch seeking more details about the reasons behind the closure. (For more information on this and other neighborhood stories, subscribe to Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts.)

The viability of small businesses has become one of the most pressing issues in the East Village as skyrocketing rents have pushed out longtime shops, which often sit vacant until they're replaced by chain stores that can foot the increasing bill. Dozens of independent business owners are calling on the city leaders to implement more protections for local entrepreneurs. The local community board is currently mulling a proposal that would create a special business district in part of the East Village, which would add limits to how many chain stores can open in a given block.

Image credit: Ciara McCarthy / Patch