Brasil Coffee House on Vernon Blvd has closed for business.

A goth-themed cafe-funeral home actually sounds like a winning idea.

2, Or an Italian restaurant funeral home. The brick oven could be used for both pizza and as a crematorium

What happened? We go there all the time either to and from work or after the playground. Where will our playground snack/bathroom place be?

I hope they put a sushi place or wine store there.

Sweetleaf holds the current crown of best cup of coffee in LIC. Cafe Henri is a close second with the best Cafe Au Lait.

Yes #10 you are right, Sweetleaf used to have only a few seats and they were too high making it a bit uncomfortable to hang out there. But they changed to low seating a couple of weeks ago and now can sit about a dozen people there. It’s much more comfortable and they also put in Wi-fi which is cool.

I have always thought Brasil was behind Sweetleaf, Communitea, Cafe Henri, and Rustica for a nice cup of coffee and a snack. In fact, I never ate the food here after I went with a friend and she got a moldy muffin! Also, one of the main reasons why this place was often empty is that they not only didn’t offer free wireless (ridiculous for a large coffee place like this nowadays), they didn’t have any outlets for people to plug their laptops into. Pretty stupid business (and community) decision.

They were in the coffee business, not the provide free stuff for smelly hispters business.

Go to Billyburg for that unwashed one!

Dear # 16,
I understand that it could appear that we promote our own place on this blog but that just is not accurate (except for the advertising of course). I am humbled and touched by the kind words of others. We try hard to please our customers and prepare coffee with the love we have for it. I am in the coffee business because I am a coffee geek, believe me it’s not for the money or the very long hours.
AS far as being called vultures, I would like to point out that my partner and I have been in this wonderful neighborhood for 25 years. I remember being very excited when the new Italian restaurant (Manetta’s) was opening across the street.
I have nothing bad to say about Brasil or any other business for that matter.
Thanks to everyone who has supported our business and appreciates what we do, we couldn’t do it without you.

# 16 Couldn’t agree more.

I think with the closing of Brazil Coffee this is the downside of progress. They were probably paying reasonable rent for the past 7 years and now the landlord wants to cash in. But in this neighborhood, as anywhere now a days, $7000 + a month is a big nut to crack. But the bright side is no way can a bar or restaurant open. They are right across the street from the Church and school.

I think we all lose when a business closes on Vernon, especially in this economy. While I wasn’t the biggest fan of Brasil (although they had awesome chocolate croissants), I am happy to see a long-time LIC-committed business thriving, especially in such a prominent location.

I hope that whomever takes over the space brings something special to the center of the town.

HAHA Another hipster overpriced place bit the dust

The Bubble is OVER, frugal is in, Corner Delis and $1 coffee Bars with $2 drafts will survive….

Acting Upscale is a laughable joke in the next decade. And I cant wait.

#21 – As I understand it, the rent at Brasil was $7000. and the landlord was going to double that amount on the lease renewal. That’s why I have bad premonitions about what he might be planning to bring to Vernon Blvd. How fast do you want your food????

Hipster….Upscale…YUP who in their right mind would pay that kind of STUPID rent?

Fake wannabees, they probably bough a luxury kondo too….

If you have that kind of cash laying around take a tip from Warren Buffett…sometimes the best choice is to do NOTHING

And wait till the idiot landlord is so broke you can rent if $2000 and make a nice living.

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As I understand it, the rent at Brasil was $7000.

Yes I make a lot of sense, if the Idjits at Brasil didn’t sign the contract… well it still might be empty and the LL would have lowered the rent.

They were really DUMB to pay that kind of rent. Now the LL is all hyped up and thinks he has gold mine in that building

Think the movie WAR GAMES……Thermo Nuclear war, strange game the only winning move is not to play.

But they played and lost.

You are not making any sense Bubble Burster. Brasil signed the lease 7 years ago and now at the end the landlord is looking to double the rent. There is no business that can pay that kind of rent down here except for Dunkin Donuts maybe that have backing. Brasil is another good example of landlord greed. The landlord is the dumb one.

A dunkin dountuts at the spot would clean up. Its right on the path to the subway.

#16 you should get a life…Sweetleaf is fantastic and they do have a great staff, and amazing coffee, get off your high horse. I am a very regular customer, and will continue to be. Have you even gone there before? To call those people vultures is just ignorant, they are hard working people who have come up with a great concept. What have you done to better the community? Complain on a blog, way to go!

Aren’t there any moneybags in the towers who can set up their children in a retail business? That’s the Williamsburg model after all.

40, I think people DO lament loss of a place they like. But because there’s this blizzard of change in LIC — new businesses coming in, old ones closing, floods of new people in, old people leaving, etc. — there’s a feeling of constant instability and flux. No one has the luxury of forming any attachments to people, businesses, anything. Wake up next week, and they might be gone.

I would love an old school West Village-type cafe with sidewalk seating and open frontage that serves great coffee, desserts, light snacks. No fancy pants business, just a cool, laidback, friendly place that you can linger.

Since Starbucks is closing stores right now, I am betting it might be Dunkin’Donuts.
Remember there was a very strong buzz that they were going into 1063, an d that the deal fell through when residents vetoed it.

But, remember, there is a police precinct a block away….so I guess this would be an ideal spot for a donut shop…lol. (my apologies for stereotyping our fine men in blue)

# 43 sounds great to me as well!!

But to be realistic, the building owner will most likely rent to whatever business is willing to pay the highest rent.

But we can still hope and dream…can’t we??

A butcher is what the hood needs!

Does anyone remember My Lil Cafe? it was between 47th Road & 47th Avenue, a couple of doors up from Cassino. Inez and Ron had great coffee, which were special roasts commissioned (for lack of the proper expression) by Ron. The sandwich wraps were great and along with their pastries and muffins, they were all (or mostly) handmade by Ron. I’m not sure when they opened, but I’ll guess it was about ’94-’95. They were closed by around 2000, due to family issues. Inez was the nicest lady. It was the nicest place to visit, with what many considered (myself included) to be the best coffee.

Charlie.

I remember when they introduced their daily soups. Now, there was a treat which would have made the “Soup Nazi” jealous. They successfully managed to blend a small town feel, with the newest big city food and drink cravings.

I was never saddened more by a store closing, than with My Lil’ Cafe. I still miss the place along with Inez and Ron.

When Brasil Coffee House first opened, the coffee was great, as was the small assortment of hot and cold munchies. The owners lived (at least for a time) in Citylights. They had a stretch of garbage strewn space alongside a factory bldg. cleaned up, then planted flowers. They were very community minded. The young lady (I wish I could remember her name) was originally from Brasil, and owned coffee plantations there. I believe that the beans used, might have actually been from her plantations.

Like My Lil’ Cafe and McReilly’s, it’s another sad closing.

Charlie.

The restaurant at the side has re-opened? When? I loved to get chicken, rice, and beans from there, nice price. Or has this closed, too?

Speaking of nice places, I will miss the Art-o-mat shop. Hopefully a solid business will take over its place.

I second about Art-o-Mat. I think the family has a eye and a heart out for the neighborhood. The rent is cheap compared to everything else on Vernon. It is a place where something other than a restaurant could stand a chance because the rent is reasonable.

#60, those were the days.

Loved Inez – I miss their chocolate cheese cake muffin – the best I ever had!

Cheese and bread shop

Not to be a nostalgia freak, and the newbies might even find this hard to believe, but there were plenty of other specialist retailers on the Vernon strip, even when LIC was a “gritty,” “barren,” “industrial wasteland.”

Very nice people in Brasil Coffe House but the coffee left a lot to be desired. It was last on my list of places in the hood to get a coffee. But agreed, they were very nice and they worked hard to make it a nice place.

the only thing ten63 had was high ceilings, period.

The rent at Brasil Coffee House was 9,000.00 plus 50% of RE taxes. How many cups of coffee to sell to pay 11,000.00 rent???????????

#78 – I heard that the rent was $7000.00 and the landlord was going to raise it to $13000.00. There are many rumors in circulation, but only the owners know the truth.

Sorry to hear that. What could we be expecting to come into the neighborhood? I heard they are trying to sell the business but if they didn’t pay there rent can they even do that?

I know the owner of Brasil Coffee House.
The reason it closed was two fold. The first was that the neighborhood lost alot of financial professionals, due to the crisis. So, alot of people left the neighborhood. But more significantly, the landlord wanted to raise the rent. So, more expense on one hand and a smaller, more frugal client base on the other, led the the closing of BCH.