Caffé Bene Skips Town

I thought this was interesting. A friend of mine noticed this sign right next to the Union Turnpike subway station across from Queens Borough Hall. Interesting because there was speculation that Caffé Bene had been planning to come to Forest Hills, with one location rumored to be where the new Dunkin' Donuts on Ascan eventually went in. Apparently, at least for now, they've skipped over us and are planning to open way further down Queens Blvd. in that rather sad stretch made even sadder by the fact that the only time I'm there is when I have to do Jury Duty. 

Now, depending on your point of view, this is either bad news, or good. Bad, because Caffé Bene is kind of an interesting chain of nice cafes that would've been nice in one of the many, many empty storefronts on Austin. I've been to one in Manhattan and found it intriguing, albeit a little odd, too.

Or maybe it's good news if you look at it from the perspective that Forest Hills is now home to an amazingly cute little independent coffee shop with excellent coffee and food—Red Pipe Organic Cafe, smack dab there in the middle of Austin St.—and I, for one am rooting for their success. Another coffee shop chain when we already have two (mini) Starbucks in Central FoHi and two Dunkin' Donuts, could very well be overkill and make life that much harder for little Red Pipe.

What's Up With? New Town Grocery

With Newtown Grocery (shown above a few years ago after an unfortunate mishap) apparently packing up shop, speculation has begun about what will be taking its place. The space is being marketed as "perfect for a corner cafe", with more than 1,000 square feet of space and, according to an ad I saw, would also include a couple of neighboring businesses. Some local folks believe it may be the up and coming coffee chain Caffe Bene that may move into the location. The chain has already opened a couple of locations in Astoria. And, as we all know, as the saying goes, "What's good for Astoria..."