Courtesy Diamond Reef Bar
Diamond Reef Bar forced to close after landlord sells building
The beloved Bed-Stuy tiki-themed bar was given 30 days to shutter as the building is sold to a developer
One of Bed-Stuy’s more popular (and tropical) bars announced Monday that it will be closing down—just as they were preparing to reopen for the spring and summer season.
Diamond Reef posted a statement to its homepage saying that their lease on Atlantic Avenue is being terminated by their landlord.
“It’s a bummer,” Managing Partner Dan Greenbaum tells Brooklyn Magazine. “Especially since we were able to navigate the last year of the pandemic and were in a good spot to move forward and thrive afterward.”
The bar, described by the New York Times in 2017 as “vaguely tiki-themed with ‘Miami-Vice’ accents” with a large outdoor patio space, food trucks, and plenty of space to smoke, closed for what was supposed to be a temporary stretch in November. It had been a shoo-in be a post-pandemic hotspot (just at the onset of the next Roaring ‘20s).
The announcement serves as another example of how the Brooklyn service industry has struggled during the pandemic. Greenbaum says the landlord sold the building to a developer who has plans for the block.
“We’re on the hunt for a new space though and hope to be able to re-open Diamond Reef sooner than later,” says Greenbaum. Pour out a little of your jungle juice in the meantime. Here’s the complete statement on their website:
Hi friends. As we were getting ready to re-open, we were notified by our landlord that our building had been sold and that our lease would be terminated. We were really devastated to hear this, as we were ready and looking forward to welcoming you back in the spring. Sadly, we won’t have the chance to at 1057 Atlantic Ave. It’s been an incredible journey over these last 4+ years and we’re grateful for all of you that passed under that neon diamond and showed us love.
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