Openings & Closings: Curl Divinity Salon; Wonder; Holy Cow; West Side Democrats; Chaotic Good Cafe

By Scott Etkin and Lisa Kava

Curl Divinity Salon, a hair salon specializing in curly-hair cuts and care, opened on September 1st at 220 West 79th Street (between Broadway and Amsterdam). Curl Divinity’s owner, Jeffrey Stein, is not new to the neighborhood – he has been operating hair salons at various locations on the Upper West Side since 1986. His current salon, Jeffrey Stein Salon is at 2345 Broadway (West 86th Street). Curl Divinity Salon is unique in that it caters specifically to clients with curly hair. “There is a void in the industry for people who are knowledgeable on how to treat curly and coily (wavy) hair,” Stein told West Side Rag. “Customers with curly hair become very loyal when they find a technician that really understands their hair.” Hair is cut while it is dry at Curl Divinity Salon so that the stylist is able to see the natural state of the hair and the exact curl pattern, Stein explained. “Our stylists design the haircut around the shape of the face and texture of the hair, creating a balanced look and a hairstyle which is visually harmonious and flattering.” The cutting technique is referred to as “the clock,” meaning hair is cut from different angles such as 3 o’clock or 6 o’clock depending on the curl. Devachan, another curly hair salon that also had a Soho location,  which closed in 2020, was the last tenant in the space. Curl Divinity stylists were trained at Devachan in the cut and styling of curly hair. (Thanks to Dina for the tip.) 

Wonder, a food hall geared toward takeout and delivery, is planning to open at 741 Columbus Avenue (West 97th Street) in November, a representative from the company confirmed to WSR. The space used to be a Rite Aid. Wonder is “a new kind of food hall [which] is revolutionizing the food industry by creating the mealtime super app, operating a collection of delivery-first restaurants and pioneering a new category of fast fine dining,” the representative wrote in an email. They provide takeout and delivery service from participating restaurants, including “award-winning restaurants from across the country (Tejas Barbeque, Di Fara Pizza, and more).” Customers may also order from one restaurant or a combination of the restaurants through the app and receive a food delivery to their home all together in one order. All meals are made to order at Wonder storefronts and delivered in under 30 minutes. Wonder operates 20 locations in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. This will be the second UWS spot for the company – there is an existing Wonder at 2030 Broadway (West 70th Street). Pickup and limited dine-in is available as well. (Thanks to Frank for the tip.)

Holy Cow, a burger joint with ethically sourced meat as well as vegan and gluten-free options, opened at 23 West 100th Street (between Central Park West and Columbus). Holy Cow’s original restaurant opened on the Lower East Side in 2018, and the chain now has a dozen locations across New York, New Jersey, and Texas. Its meat is sourced from Hal&Al, a Halal-certified butcher. The menu includes specialty items such as an NYC cheesesteak and a chopped cheese sandwich, as well as ice cream from Häagen-Dazs. Daily hours are listed as 11 a.m. to midnight. The space used to be Zhong Hua, a Chinese takeout restaurant. (Thanks to Brad for the tip.) 

West Side Democrats opened a temporary campaign office last week at the corner of West 82nd Street and Amsterdam, which is expected to be open till November 5th. Activities taking place there include postcarding and phone banking, said John Wahlmeier, district leader for the 67th assembly district. The group is primarily focused on Prop 1 (the New York Equal Rights Amendment), races in the Hudson Valley, and the national election. They are also organizing a bus trip to Philadelphia this weekend. Those interested in volunteering can stop by the storefront or email westsidedemocratsnyc@gmail.com. The space used to be a Malin+Goetz skincare shop, which closed last year.

Chaotic Good Cafe, a board game coffee shop, is having a soft opening on October 6th at 200 West 84th Street (off Amsterdam Avenue), with limited hours from 9 a.m. until 7 p.m. A full opening is planned for October 9th, with hours from 8 a.m. until 10 p.m. and until 11 p.m on Friday and Saturday nights. Chaotic Good was slated to open in March 2024 but permits and construction took longer than anticipated. “We are very excited and finally ready,” owner Andrew Panos told the Rag. “While the work was going on we were able to introduce ourselves to neighbors in the area and hear about their thoughts on the cafe.” Panos is a longtime Upper West Sider who loves to play board games. He wanted to create a community spot where locals can mingle, play games, and enjoy coffee and light food. Coffee, pastries, stroopwafels, and countertop snacks will be served. They will partner with Upper West Side eateries and bakeries. Chaotic Good Cafe will stock approximately 400 board games, including popular ones like Monopoly, Mah-jong, Settlers of Catan, Wingspan, and Cards Against Humanity. They will also feature harder-to-find games such as Crokinole and Klask. Game prices will be $5 an hour per person and $12 for unlimited play. Chaotic Good Cafe will hold special events, such as Mahjong Mondays, family mornings, strategy nights, mystery game events, senior singles nights, queer all-play nights, and tournaments. Panos hopes to start an after-school program as well.

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