Cafe Dada Shutters After Five Years On 7th Avenue
Park Slope’s iconic French-Hungarian cafe has officially — and quietly — closed, owners confirmed today.
After the Sunday crowds shuffled out, owners of Cafe Dada at 57 7th Avenue between Lincoln Place & St Johns Place, put up a single ‘closed’ sign that remained during Monday morning rush hour.
Business partners and friends Laszlo Galambos and Gabor Ferencz, both from Hungary, seemed sad to see the place close when we stopped by this morning.
The cafe opened in 2012, in the former home of Ozzie’s, to offer Park Slope an eclectic mix of French-Hungarian fare, authentic European pastries, and rich Blue Bottle coffee in a former pre-war apothecary setting.
Though neighbors commented that the closure felt sudden, Galambos said they’ve been struggling for a few years, fighting the tide of rising costs and dwindling profits.
“We’ve been pushing and trying,” said Galambos. “But there’s been a decline on 7th Avenue.” He waved a hand toward shuttered businesses up and down the block. “There’s a huge hype about the neighborhood, prices have pumped up and many small businesses had to close.”
The snowballing business closures is an old story for many owners and neighbors on 7th Avenue, just in the past year we’ve said goodbye to Sport Prospect, Gear to Go Outfitters, Buttermilk Bakery, Scalino, Thistle Hill Tavern, Goldy + Mac, 4 Play Brooklyn, and A Shoe Grows in Brooklyn, and so many more in the neighborhood. (Get a big-picture look at Park Slope restaurants that opened and closed in 2016 here.)
Galambos said he’s not sure if another cafe is in their future, right now they’re just dealing with the immediate job of closing a business. In the coming days, the partners plan to put up more elaborate signs on the shop windows and post a farewell message on Facebook.
But for curious neighbors who want a last look, stop by tomorrow, June 28 between 9:30am and 6pm for their auction.
“This wasn’t what we planned,” said Galambos, noting that many longtime customers have been knocking on their door, sadly. “We love our customers, and thank them for their business.”