Two longstanding New York City establishments have closed their doors this week, marking the end of eras in Greenwich Village and Carroll Gardens. Japonica, a sushi restaurant that opened in 1978 in Greenwich Village, and Caputo Bakery, a bakery that had operated for more than 120 years in Carroll Gardens, both announced their closures amid economic challenges.
Japonica was known for its maki rolls and regularly attracted long lines of patrons. The restaurant’s closure reflects growing difficulties in maintaining operations in Manhattan, where labor costs, ingredient prices, and utility expenses have increased significantly in recent years. These factors have put pressure on many independent eateries and contributed to a wave of closures.
Caputo Bakery, a fixture in Brooklyn’s Carroll Gardens neighborhood, had been serving its community for over a century. Its century-long presence made it a neighborhood institution. However, rising expenses and changing market conditions proved difficult to overcome. The closure highlights the ongoing challenges faced by legacy businesses in the city.
Both closures underscore the broader economic pressures affecting the restaurant and food service sectors in New York City. Increasing operational costs, including labor, ingredients, and energy, continue to squeeze margins. As a result, some well-established businesses have found it unsustainable to continue.
City officials and industry advocates have noted these trends as part of a larger conversation about the future of small businesses in New York. While new restaurants and food establishments continue to open, the loss of longtime institutions such as Japonica and Caputo Bakery reminds observers of the fragile nature of the city’s culinary landscape.