The must-try Williamsburg bakery, La Villita, emptied its storefront and closed its doors over the February 23-24 weekend, reported Gothamist.
According to owner Alfonso Sosa, the popular neighborhood stalwart at 171 Grand Street, closed because the rent was going up by $10,000 per month. Sosa said he will move with his family to Pennsylvania instead of transplanting the store to a more affordable Brooklyn location.
The Grand Street and Bedford Avenue commercial corridors have become ever more trafficked in recent years as more people with disposable incomes move into the surrounding neighborhood. This has driven retail and housing rents up.
La Villita has whipped up wedding cakes, egg sandwiches [with salsa verde], espresso, enchiladas, tostadas, cookies, and more for 17 years.
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