(Photo: Tara Law)
Aug. 31, 2018 By Tara Law
When Gossip Coffee closed in April, some Astoria residents feared that the contemporary coffee shop had been a casualty of the eight-month closure of the 30th Avenue subway station.
Like the subway station, however, Gossip is now back and fully renovated. The eatery, now branded Gossip Coffee, Cocktails, Cuisine will reopen at 37-04 30th Ave. on Tuesday with a new look and an expanded drink and food menu.
(Photo: Tara Law)
Co-owner James Paloumbis said that he had planned to renovate the eatery and broaden its offerings for some time, but that the downturn in foot traffic after the subway closure had persuaded him to move the project forward.
To renovate the shop, he partnered with For Five Coffee Roasters owners Stefanos Vouvoudakis and Tom Tsiplakos, who run restaurants in Long Island, Manhattan and Los Angeles.
“I saw the need in the neighborhood— to upgrade. Bring a little healthy food,” said Paloumbis. “The timing was perfect.”
Gossip now offers a full “modern American” menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The menu features health-conscious and trendy items such as tuna poke salad; overnight oats; lobster rolls and an acai bowl.
The assortment of pastries at Gossip will be entirely new, Paloumbis said. The highlights will include cookies by Duchess New York and pastries from Bakehouse New York.
The menu, created by Chef Sheyla Accosta, will offer many vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options, Paloumbis said.
The restaurant’s bar is entirely new, and offers many drinks on tap, including cold brew, beer, wine and cocktails.
(Photo: Tara Law)
Gossip will offer a rotating menu of creative cocktails including a “Rosemary Daisy” made with tequila, rosemary, agave and lime and alcohol-free “driver” drinks made with fruit, herbs and sparkling water.
Paloumbis said that his hope is for the eatery to become an all-day destination. Gossip will now be open from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. on weekdays and stay open until 1:00 a.m. on weekends.
The eatery will also offer an expanded space for guests to hang out. All of the seating has been refurbished, and additional seating and a pavilion have been added to the backyard.
“The space is so pretty you’ll want to stay here,” Paloumbis said. “No matter what time of day it is–you’ll want to gossip at Gossip.”
One Comment
Rent is so high on 30th and Astoria in general any straight up cafe unless it’s backed by big corporate money like a Starbucks wont survive. I remember when Flo cafe opened back in 2006 or so. It was a straight up cafe that eventually had to transform into a restaurant / Lounge to survive. Just the way it is now. Alcohol and food is what’s gonna keep the area’s new price point going.