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Food

Beloved Bay Ridge Soda Fountain Hinsch's Reopens!


By

Jamie Feldmar

Published Nov 29, 2011

Modified Nov 29, 2011


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Photo courtesy Kirsten Hively/ Project Neon

 


By

Jamie Feldmar

Published Nov 29, 2011

Modified Nov 29, 2011


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Hinsch's Confectionary, the 62-year-old Bay Ridge sweets shop with killer homemade ice cream and a fantastically retro decor has triumphantly re-opened after closing earlier this year due to financial woes. "We are so happy. Very very happy,” said one 82-year-old customer who was celebrating her 52nd wedding anniversary at the shop yesterday with a tuna fish sandwich and an egg cream. Marty Markowtiz was on hand, too, slurping down an egg cream with the rest of the hungry hordes, many of whom have been eating at the greasy spoon since childhood.

The shop closed in October when longtime owner John Logue's lease was up, the Health Department was knocking, and the landlord wanted to increase rent by nearly $3,000. But as Councilman Vincent Gentile first reported on his Facebook (yes, seriously), a neighborhood couple stepped in to take over the space, brokering a deal with the landlord and keeping the aesthetic essentially the same. “We heard the place was for rent. We didn’t want to see it go. We’ve been coming here since grade school,” said new owner Gerard Bell, who also runs the popular burger joint Skinflint's up the street.

A call to the restaurant was not returned, presumably because they're swamped with customers clamoring for sundaes and hamburgers. In any event, welcome back to the neighborhood, Hinsch's! Everybody, go out and drop $1.60 for a top-shelf egg cream with a hint of Old New York flavor.

Tagged

bay ridge

classic tables

confectionary

egg cream

greasy spoon

hinsch's

hooray

re-opening

retro


Jamie Feldmar

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